Maritime agencies adopt modalities to tackle overlapping functions

Peter Olaniyi

Maritime agencies under the Federal Ministry of Transportation have agreed on modalities for handling areas of overlap in their responsibilities.

Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh, disclosed this in Lagos after a meeting of heads of the parastatals at the headquarters of the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC).

Jamoh said the agreement followed the work of a ministerial committee, stressing that meetings like this are necessary to build synergy and create the right atmosphere for the overall progress of the economy.

He stated, “We have held the inaugural meeting for improved synergy and we hope to hold it on a monthly basis for the next four months.

“Due to the proximity of our corporate headquarters to each other, a lot of gains will be achieved in a short while without the usual official bureaucracy.”

The Director-General added, “From our discussion and deliberations, we have decided on so many issues that concern national development, overlapping functions, and others.

“We have a committee inaugurated by the ministry of transportation and we have been working for close to a year now. We have now decided on who should take what responsibility and we are going ahead with that.”

He said there was no better time to improve synergy among agencies under the Federal Ministry of Transportation than now.

“When the COVID-19 pandemic and the accompanying disruptions to business and economy have placed a great deal of responsibility on the maritime sector as a vital support to the economy and key medium for the movement of essential supplies.”

Those who attended the meeting were Executive Secretary of NSC, Mr. Hassan Bello; Jamoh; and Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman.

Managing Director, National Inland Waterways Authority, Dr. George Moghalu, and Rector, Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, Commodore Duja Effedua (Rtd), joined via Zoom.