The Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, on Wednesday said the present management’s mandate was to restructure, reform and reposition the agency.
Peterside, who stated this at a news conference in Lagos, said the management had identified five pillars that would enable the agency achieve its mandate.
He said: “The five pillars are: survey inspection, transformation, search and rescue initiative, digital transformation and cultural reform initiative of staff.
“For NIMASA to achieve all its objectives, the agency has to be International Maritime Organisation compliant in all its activities.
“IMO, being the United Nations specialised agency that regulates international shipping activities.”
Peterside said IMO made several instruments on safety consciousness, adding that one of it was Safety of Life at Sea Convention.
“There was need for NIMASA to ensure that all vessels coming into Nigerian waters are carried the required tonnage and not above for safety purposes,” Peterside said.
He said the agency needed to train seafarers in order to meet up with the objectives of local content.
According to him, the staff would need to undergo an orientation to be able to achieve the set objectives, adding that the staff should be equipped psychologically and given the orientation to meet up with the Change Agenda.
The director-general said Nigeria should be exporting seafarers like the Philippines and Chinese, adding that it was a way of reducing unemployment and gainfully engaging trained cadets.
Peterside said there was the need to establish or revamp the old dockyard to be able to build and maintain ships that would fly Nigerian flag.
He said: “NIMASA will liaise with the Navy and the Air Force to curtail the excesses of pirates on Nigerian waters.
“The agency will equally assist the Nigeria Air Force with an aircraft to patrol Nigerian waterways and airspace, as a rapid response measure to curtail piracy in Nigerian waters.”
The director-general of the agency said the Air force and the Navy would synergise by giving information that would help to nip in the bud the excesses of pirates.
He said an anti-piracy vessel would be available by September for use to enable Nigerian ports attract more vessels.
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