Participants at the NIMSA Media training workshop in Lagos
Summary of three lead papers presented at a recent one-day training workshop for Maritime Media Executives in Lagos have shown that the central target in the establishment of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Act in 2007 by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration it drive Blue Economy using either national fleet or robust indigenous shippers.
However, whereas advantages abound in NIMASA Act, there is either no national or private indigenous shippers to tap the benefits of the Act to the fullest after all.
In his first presentation, titled: “Understanding the International Maritime Regulatory Framework,” by Mr. Anthony Ogadi, a former NIMASA Director of Shipping Development, he started from the clear provisions of the suspended National Maritime Authority (NMA) Decree No; 10 which empowered a 40-40-20 (Foreigners 40/Nigerian shippers 40/ Others 20) sharing formula for cargoes in and out of Nigerian shores, thereby booming the indigenous shipping sector within the period of the Decree. This formula helped to grow local capacity and shipping companies in Nigeria.
However, following the NIMASA Act and the suspension of the Cargo sharing formula, national fleet and remaining local shippers died due to inability to compete with well-established foreign shippers.
The presentation explained how local shipping would have boomed if the necessary support was received by local shippers to grow their fleet via cabotage or government support.
Whereas Chief Isichei Osamgbi, Director of Administration and Human Resources at NIMASA, representing Director General Dr. Dayo Mobereola, emphasized that ocean resources are central to the growth of successful nations like the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, China, and others that have thrived by maximizing their maritime potential, he was silent on why indigenous shipping has nose-dived in recent years.
The one-day capacity-building workshop, themed “Regulating the Maritime Industry: The NIMASA Perspective,” was held at the Kitack Lim Regional Maritime Safety and Security Center in Lagos, the workshop however, enhanced maritime journalists’ understand NIMASA’s regulatory roles and the broader opportunities within the maritime industry for the Nigerian public.
Two other papers were presented by a Deputy Director, Barr. Peter Agbaminola focused on “NIMASA Regulatory Processes at a Glance,” and made participants to know more on the key roles of the agency in the emerging Blue and Marine Economy.
