The Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Dakuku Peterside, on Wednesday said that 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.
``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 (IMO) compliant in all its activities, ``the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quotes Peterside as saying.
He said that, ``IMO, being the United Nations specialised agency that regulates international shipping activities.’’
Peterside said that IMO made several instruments on safety consciousness, adding that one of it was Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) 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,.’’ Dakuku said.
He said that 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, saying that without the staff should be equipped psychologically and given orientation to meet up with the Change agenda.
The director-general said that Nigeria should be exporting seafarers like Philippines and Chinese, adding that that was a way of reducing unemployment and gainfully engaging trained cadets.
Peterside said that there was need to establish or revamp the old dockyard to be able to build and maintain ships that would fly Nigerian flag.
``NIMASA will liaise with the Navy and the Air Force to curtail the excesses of pirates on Nigerian waters,’’ NAN quotes him as saying.
``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,`` he said.
The director-general of the agency said that 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 that an anti-piracy vessel would be available by September for use to enable Nigerian ports attract more vessels.
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