Maritime
Global Uncertainty: Embrace Blue Economy, NESG DG Charges Leaders
..As NIMASA Organizes Senior Mgt Strategy Session
In the face of global uncertainty due largely to the Ukraine-Russian war and COVID-19 pandemic, the Director General of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, NESG, ’Laoye Jaiyeola, has urged leaders to embrace the use of technology in the maritime sector and acquire new skills in-demand.
DG NIMASA, Dr Bashir Jamoh
Jaiyeola, who spoke at a three-day Management Strategic session organised by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, stressed the need to providing leadership in uncertain times.
He noted that the maritime industry is capable of playing a leading role in reshaping the Nigerian economy, and enjoined the Agency to move with the trend to meet up with modern realities while ensuring that the Nigerian maritime sector is in tandem with its counterpart in other climes.
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“With the global uncertainty due largely to the Ukraine-Russian war and adapting to the new normal brought unto humanity by COVID-19 which has led to weakening global stability, Blue Economy is the future. Leaders should embrace the use of technology in the maritime sector and acquire new skills in-demand. This is the only way Nigeria can provide leadership in the maritime sector”, he said.
The Senior Management Strategic session 2022, was part of NIMASA’s efforts to review performance and strategize to achieve its mandate.
The event has an eight-year plan made up of short, medium and long-term clearly stated goals aimed at enhancing the performance of the Agency.
Earlier in his speech, NIMASA’s Director General, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, noted that continuous internal stakeholders’ engagement is a key component of the current administration to achieve a successful implementation of her tripod mandate of ensuring Maritime Safety, Maritime Security and Shipping Development for the Nigerian Maritime industry.
Dr. Jamoh disclosed that in order to achieve the mandate of the Agency, it requires collective efforts from all stakeholders, which will in turn help drive investors’ confidence in engaging in businesses in the Nigerian maritime sector.
“Shipping is crucial to the survival of the global economy, as was exemplified during the COVID-19 pandemic, where virtually all sectors of the global economy were grounded, except the shipping industry. For us at NIMASA, we are focused on driving the Agenda of the Federal Government in making the Nigerian maritime sector attractive for investors, while we keep building the capacity of our people to make them compete favourably with their counterparts in the comity of maritime nations”.
The Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola has deposited three Instruments of Accession to IMO Conventions signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu with the global body.
He did so on Tuesday, at the headquarters of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which acts as the repository for these conventions.
This move, coming a few weeks after Nigeria declared its intention to contest election for a seat on the IMO Council, is expected to enhance Nigeria’s maritime governance and align its practices with international standards, promoting maritime safety, security, and environmental protection.
Shortly after the presentation ceremonies, Oyetola informed the IMO Secretary General, Arsenio Dominguez, of the President’s commitment to ensuring that Nigeria aligns with international maritime standards regarding maritime safety, security, and sustainable marine practices.
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He also called on the IMO to extend technical support to Nigeria.
In his words, “These instruments, duly acceded by His Excellency, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, signify Nigeria’s continued commitment to aligning with international maritime standards, ensuring maritime safety and security, and promoting sustainable marine practices.
“We hereby request tailored technical cooperation under the Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme (ITCP) to enhance Nigeria’s compliance with IMO conventions and improve our maritime governance and implementation of the instruments we submitted today.”
On his part, Dominguez, acknowledged with appreciation the formal deposition of the Instruments of Accession, stating that it underscores Nigeria’s steadfast commitment to aligning with global maritime standards.
“I congratulate Nigeria for its exceptional efforts in acceding to these six critical IMO instruments. I encourage continued momentum by securing presidential assent to additional key conventions. We at the IMO remains fully committed to supporting Nigeria through technical cooperation and capacity-building initiatives to ensure the successful implementation of these instruments,” he stated.
The instruments Oyetola handed over to Dominguez include the instrument of accession to the 2005 Protocol to the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Fixed Platforms Located on the Continental Shelf (SUA Protocol 2005), the instrument of accession to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Fishing Vessel Personnel (STCW-F), and the instrument of accession to the Protocol Relating to Intervention on the High Seas in Cases of Pollution by Substances Other Than Oil (Intervention Protocol 1973).
It was gathered that three other Instruments of Accession signed by President Tinubu are undergoing further steps to complete the processes for their deposit.
Funds accrued under the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF) are intact and currently held with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under the Single Treasury Account (TSA).
This assertion was made by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), in a statement in Lagos on Tuesday.
The clarification became necessary to address “a misleading publication alleging that funds have disappeared from the CVFF account”.
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The statement reads, in part, “The report of a missing money is both misleading and false.
“For the record, the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund, securely held in the NIMASA account at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), remains intact. There has been no disappearance of funds, and no illegal transactions, as the article suggests. This misinformation is a figment of the authors imagination, aimed at undermining NIMASA’s integrity, and mislead the public about the Agency’s operations.
“The Management of NIMASA will ensure that the CVFF is utilised in line with its statutory purpose. NIMASA Director General, Dr Mobereola has assured stakeholders of the safety of funds under the CVFF.”
The statement cited the DG thus, “Let us be clear that the CVFF account at the Central Bank of Nigeria is safe, intact, and secure. We at NIMASA will continue to manage it with the utmost responsibility, and there are no irregularities or illegal activities surrounding the funds. I urge the public to disregard this false narrative and to continue trusting the Agency’s ability to uphold the integrity of Nigeria’s maritime sector”.
It was gathered that the CVFF is a fund established under section 42 of the Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage) Act 2003 to promote the development of indigenous ship acquisition capacity and to provide credit facilities to local maritime operators.
The NIMASA, assured of its commitment “to transparency, accountability, and the advancement of Nigeria’s maritime sector.”
Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo appears eager to deliver the dividends of democracy to his constituents.
This is discernible from the frenzy of activities being witnessed in his first few days on the job, including dissolution of boards, constitution of investigative panels, flagging off of infrastructure projects, among others.
In the bid to address the perennial road traffic congestion negatively impacting economic and social activities in Benin City, the state capital, Gov Okpebholo on Wednesday flagged off the construction of a flyover bridge.
Biztellers reports that the flyover bridge around the popular Ramat Park in the city centre is the first of such in the history of Edo State.
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The Edo State Government made the disclosure in its verified handle on micro-blogging site, X, on Wednesday.
It wrote, “Traffic decongestion: Gov Okpebholo flags off first flyover in Edo.
“Edo State Governor, Sen. Monday Okpebholo has flagged off the construction of a flyover bridge at Ramat Park, Benin City, the State Capital, as part of immediate efforts to reduce traffic congestion in the city.”
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