Peterside: NIMASA Working With Govt for NMU Take-Off

Eromosele Abiodun

The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside has said that NIMASA is working closely with some government agencies at both federal and state levels to ensure that academic activities at the Nigerian Maritime University (NMU) commence in the next academic session.

Peterside, who stated this during this year’s celebration of Day of the Seafarers with the theme, “Seafarers Matter,” noted that the mandate of the university include bridging the gap in human capacity in the maritime sector, with particular reference to seafarers now perceived to be in high demand in the country and globally.

Peterside restated that capacity building remains a focal mandate of the agency and is required in order to ensure the sustainable growth and development of the maritime sector and the country as a whole.

“Learning is a continuous process, when we stop learning the sector cannot grow, and by extension the entire country. More so, the country is diversifying its resources and we need trained and competent personnel to man the different sectors of the economy. In this regard, in NIMASA there is a rebirth of focusing on our core mandate of which capacity development is topmost in order to realise a virile maritime sector. We therefore remain committed to the ideals of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration aspiration to make Nigeria a pride in the comity of nations.

He urged seafarers to remain patriotic in the delivery of their services to their fatherland and assured them that NIMASA will continue to collaborate with shipowners and relevant stakeholders in the sector to ensure that their interest is protected.

In his words: “We are proud of you and be assured that we will ensure that your interest is protected. In the light of these, we will also ensure that all international instruments pertaining to your welfare are fully implemented.”

Speaking further, the DG said that the National Joint Industrial Council (NJIC) comprising tripartite stakeholders, have reconvened to fashion out a decent wage and improved working and living conditions for the seafarers in line with the provisions of the convention and comparable to what is obtainable internationally.

“It is therefore, expected that once the collective bargaining agreement is signed, ship-owners will commence its full implementation,” he stated.

While assuring the seafarers of the agency’s continuous support, he stated that NIMASA would continue to give priority to capacity building initiatives in order to actualise its vision of making NIMASA a world class organisation in line with global best practices.