The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has said its 2016 budget will target strategic growth in human and infrastructural capacity, maritime safety and security, among others.
The Director-General of the agency, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, said this while defending the agency’s 2016 budget before the House of Representatives Committee on Maritime Safety, Education and Administration.
in a statement, the NIMASA DG said the agency was committed to growing the maritime sector for the benefit of indigenous operators and the nation at large.
Peterside said, “The agency targets strategic growth in five key areas in the year 2016, including maintaining maritime safety and security; maintenance of a clean maritime environment and enhanced port state control.
“Others include building human and infrastructural capacity as well as sanitising the maritime environment to eliminate corruption while increasing revenue generation for economic growth.”
He said the agency planned to tap into the vast potential of the Nigerian maritime industry by growing indigenous capacity with a view to making Nigeria a hub for maritime activities in the West and Central African sub region.
Peterside added that the process would include a radical restructuring of the agency with a view to repositioning it for greater efficiency and service delivery.
He said, “NIMASA’s management is committed to ensuring transparency, accountability and probity in the discharge of its mandate. There would be zero tolerance for corruption.”
Earlier in his opening remarks, the Chairman of the committee, Mohammed Bago, commended the spirit of industry and commitment of the DG, saying that he had no doubt in Peterside’s ability to succeed.
He also challenged the DG to utilise all the resources at his disposal to restore safety to the Nigerian maritime domain and also revamp the image of the agency, which he stressed had been badly damaged in the last few years.
Bago assured the agency of the committee’s support and cooperation for NIMASA’s programmes in 2016, insisting that the committee would monitor the implementation of the budget very closely.
