Esther Oluku
Harboursandport.com: Lagos - The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Mu'azu Jaji Sambo, has congratulated the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) on acquisition assets and completion of several building projects.
The projects which are located at Kirikiri and Apapa area of Lagos State respectively, include; five (5) state-of-the-art enforcement platforms to ensure strict compliance and adherence with the extant laws, four (4) Staff ferries, a renovated Administrative Block, the NIMASA Multipurpose Hall, the NIMASA Search and Rescue Clinic of the Nigerian Maritime Resources Development Centre, in addition to the NIMASA Search and Rescue Base Clinic at Azare Crescent Apapa, acquisition of Communication Gadgets for enhanced maritime security and the groundbreaking ceremony at the construction site of the proposed NIMASA Skill Acquisition Centre, in Apapa, Lagos.
Sambo said that the completion of these projects serve to further reinforce the Ministry's commitment to achieve and sustain safe and secure shipping, cleaner oceans and enhanced maritime capacity in line with the best global practices towards Nigeria’s economic development.
While lauding NIMASA for the achievment, the Minister said that the Ministry, will continue to give its support to NIMASA as she continues down this commendable path to ensuring the growth of maritime in Nigeria.
He said: "Additionally, we shall be commissioning the completion of the just mentioned projects by NIMASA shows the agency’s commitment to ensuring the safety and security of Nigerian waters, as the newly renovated Administrative block will create a conducive work environment thereby increasing the productivity of the staff, the Search and Rescue Clinics will enable the agency to fulfil its obligations to seafarers and the general public by providing top-notch medical care facilities, and the newly acquired Communication Gadgets will enable the agency’s enforcement and search and rescue operators communicate in real-time without any hindrance or interference while conducting their operations at sea.
"These platforms will give NIMASA the much needed tools required to function as a Maritime Administration in line with the protocols and conventions of the International Maritime Organization and International Labour Organization to which NIMASA represents Nigeria as its contracting government.
"As stated during the commissioning of the Abuja Zonal office, we commit ourselves to the supervisory role that would create enabling operational regimes for the Agencies and Departments under the Federal Ministry of Transportation."
While delivering his remarks, the Director General, NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Yusuf Jamoh, stated that with Nigeria's position as Africa's Maritime leader, the initiative of building the health facility is founded on the premise of setting the pace for other Maritime agencies across Africa.
Jamoh maintained that amongst other completed projects, the Search and Rescue Base Clinic, will serve as an healthcare facility for the agency's workers to reduce the high cost of private healthcare services and also serve as a facility for seafarers who may require it's services thus generating foreign exchange for the country.
"Within the last four months, we have built this particular structure. We are going to discuss with the National Health Insurance Scheme. With the Health Insurance Scheme, this place can be utilised by the community, seafarers coming to Nigeria. They can come to this hospital and receive the best services they can get in terms of healthcare needs and transmit the good impression they have of Nigeria. This would take us to the position of the number one maritime leading agency. We have the opportunity of getting income in foreign exchange in addition to the good name we are establishing.
"The maritime industry is a shared domain where everyone builds on the already existing structure and within the ambit of our administration, we would do everything possible to provide such platforms that will take Nigeria to greater heights. We would continue to do our best within the ambit of the law and within the rules of engagement given to us by the government for the betterment of Nigeria and Nigerians," he said.
On her part, the Chairman, Apapa Local Government Council, Mrs. Idowu, during the Groundbreaking ceremony for the NIMASA Skills Acquisition Center, thanked the agency for donating the facility which she says is an opportunity to "empower the youth population in Apapa".
She further stated that as the Port City Council and the host Council to NIMASA, the Local Government Council is expecting more from NIMASA as she believed the skills acquisition center is the beginning of better things to come.
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