The Secretary-General (SG) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Arsenio Dominguez, has commended Nigeria for leading the charge to maintain the safety and security of commercial shipping in the Gulf of Guinea.

Dominguez expressed particular pleasure with the turn of events given in recent times when the situation in the Red Sea has led to heavier shipping traffic in the region.

The SG shared his views during a meeting with the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dayo Mobereola, at the IMO headquarters in London.

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He also commended the NIMASA DG for engaging the technical team at the IMO on how Nigeria can address all identified gaps from the 2016 audit conducted by the organization.

In his words “I want to appreciate the effort of Nigeria on the progress made so far as regards security in the Gulf of Guinea region. There were concerns due to the situation in the Red Sea and resultant pressure around the Gulf of Guinea but we are pleased that the situation has remained the same. We at IMO have been working with Nigeria through NIMASA and we desire that the partnership continues.

“I am also happy that you, DG, are meeting with IMO technical staff on how to close all identified gaps before the next audit cycle. This is a step in the right direction and we are ready to give any technical support.”

The SG also announced that the Organization is working on enhancing the Global Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS) to provide better services to member states in terms of information management.

On his part, the NIMASA DG, declared that his administration will pay attention to details on how Nigeria can become a voice to be reckoned with in global maritime diplomacy, adding that Nigeria is committed to sustaining the momentum of recent achievements in safety and security within the maritime domain.

According to Mobereola, “My tenure will leverage existing relationships both locally and internationally to sustain the momentum in safety and security within the Nigerian maritime domain. The creation of the Marine and Blue Economy Ministry in Nigeria by Mr. President emphasizes the policy direction of this administration. Our goal is to ensure that Nigeria plays an active leading role not just in the region or the IMO, but in the global maritime space.”

Speaking further, he noted that his meeting with IMO technical staff was aimed at ensuring that NIMASA and the IMO are aligned before the next audit cycle.  “I discovered today that some critical information regarding our administration and the technical team at the IMO is obsolete, and we are reviewing it to update it immediately. We do not see the IMO audit as an examination but rather as a guide to assist Nigeria in achieving its potential; hence, my decision to get personally involved. We need to get the basics right”.

He also announced that the Honorable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola CON, has constituted a committee to address all areas of concern raised in the 2016 IMO audit report. This includes reviewing NIMASA’s enabling laws and effectively implementing a corrective action plan.

The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dayo Mobereola has cautioned members of the public on the existence of several unauthorized social media accounts making the rounds and purportedly belonging to him.

Dr Mobereola via his verified X handle @MobereolaD made it clear that the fake accounts are not affiliated or endorsed by him, or the Agency, in any way and advised members of the public to be wary and only communicate with official social media platforms.

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For the avoidance of doubt, any party that puts itself forward as acting on behalf of NIMASA, or any member of the Agency’s Executive Management, for any purpose whatsoever is completely false and NIMASA disclaims and bears no responsibility whatsoever for their action.

Members of the public are hereby urged to treat with suspicion any such offerings and verify their claims in order not to fall prey to these scammers, as NIMASA has not designated any entity or persons to act on its behalf. Please report such incidents to info@nimasa.gov.ng or the appropriate law enforcement Agencies.

The DG thus expressly disclaimed any liability for any losses incurred by any person(s) as a result of reliance on such fraudulent Facebook accounts, LinkedIn, e-mails and other online publications.

The 296 Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP), beneficiaries at the Centurion University, India have been assured of adequate capacity development till they qualify as globally employable Seafarers.

The assurance was given on Wednesday in Lagos, by the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Dayo Mobereola in a statement.

He described media reports claiming that the Agency plans to withdraw the NSDP cadets from the Centurion University, India as false.

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Dr Mobereola maintained that the Agency was only carrying out due diligence on the existing MoU to align the processes in the best interest of the Nigerian students.

He said, “We are not recalling any NSDP beneficiary from Centurion University. We are only working to close out all identified gaps in the existing Memorandum of Understanding before proceeding to the next stage.

“A situation where the Agency entered into a contractual agreement with Springdale Academy of Maritime Education and Training, SAMET with agreed courses and timelines only to be faced with additional course duration and an alien programme by the agent, SAMET, unilaterally converting the programme without the consent of the Agency as prescribed by the MoU may not be in the best interest of the students.”

Speaking further, he said “There were issues of non-accreditation of one of institution as at the time of the execution of MoU, change of course from Marine engineering to Mechanical engineering without recourse to the Agency, preparing the grounds for additional years of studies and uncertainties for the students, raising issues related to funding, and the various third parties arrangements without duly informing the Agency.”

He also noted that the Management of NIMASA is aware of a sponsored media campaign of calumny against the NIMASA Management stating that it will not deter NIMASA from doing the right thing.

“We are aware of orchestrated media campaigns and petitions against the Agency reviewing the existing arrangement.  We will not give in to blackmail as the safety and wellbeing of our students are paramount,” he stated.

The NSDP was introduced in 2009 to develop capacity by training young Nigerians as seafarers and bridge the gap of dearth of seafarers globally.

Under the scheme, Nigerian youths are trained in specialized courses such as Marine Engineering, Nautical Sciences and Nautical Surveys amongst others, to ensure they qualify as Seafarers, which makes them globally employable.