NIMASA Abuja Office to Oversee Operations of Lokoja Safety Base, Says Sambo

•Building to house the regional maritime bank, Jamoh discloses

Kasim Sumaina in Abuja

The Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Jaji Sambo has hinted that the newly inaugurated multi-million Naira Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Abuja zonal office will oversee the operations of its Lokoja Safety Base.

This he said will thereby play a pivotal role in delivering the Agency’s regulatory responsibilities on safety matters in the Nigeria inland waterways.

Sambo therefore, noted that due to the strategic role the Abuja zonal office plays, it became imperative to establish a permanent station as several limiting factors encumber the current office from the restrictive nature of operating from a rented property, limiting NIMASA’s ability to restructure and modify the facility to meet exigencies necessary to increase productivity, to the long-term financial implications of paying exorbitant rents.

The Transportation Minister gave the hint on Tuesday in his keynote address at the inauguration of the new office in Abuja.

He stressed that as a nation at the cusp of an economic renaissance, with boundless opportunities in its Maritime Domain, the role of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency cannot be understated in the delivery of Nigeria’s economic potential.

However, “for us as a nation to achieve our potential, there is a strong need to put in place strategic and tangible structures that will yield quantifiable and intangible dividends in the years to come.

“As we flag off the commissioning of all completed projects by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, what will become apparent for all to see is the intentionality, commitment and focus of the Federal Government of Nigeria to ensure that the proper foundation is put in place so that as a people, we can continuously build towards a greater tomorrow.”

According to him, today, we are gathered here to commission the newly acquired NIMASA Abuja zonal office. “At the same time, there may be those who will raise questions about the need for a Maritime Administration to secure an office in Abuja, where there is no ocean.

“But I assure you that the acquisition of this office is not to fulfil another bureaucratic justification but due to the responsibilities and functions that the zonal office plays in discharging NIMASA’s mandate.”

He further explained that the Abuja zonal office serves as the nexus point between the NIMASA and the Federal Ministry of Transportation, the National Assembly, and all other relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies, as well as critical stakeholders like the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), amongst others.

Sambo added that apart from the reduction of cost of governance, the new Abuja zonal office will serve as the centrepiece of government relations on matters with bilateral and multilateral implications on International Trade and Cooperation, as such, enable the Agency to host Foreign Diplomats and other key Maritime Stakeholders in the Federal Capital Territory, thereby helping the Agency speedily achieve its mandate especially when they need to reach out to the different arms of Government.

All these factors he said have led to the acquisition of the new office and serve as further proof of the growth in capacity of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency due to its deepened role in the economic development of Nigeria.

Continuing, he opined that as the supervisory Ministry, “our support for NIMASA and the expansion of the maritime sector has been and will continue to be immense, and we are happy that the ripple effects of the support cuts across the length and breadth of Nigeria.

“We remain committed to our oversight function as we continue to create the enabling operational regimes for the Agencies and Departments under the FMOT. This project is, therefore, a pointer to our determination in that regard.

“At this juncture, it is important to appreciate the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Mohammadu Buhari GCFR, the Vice President, His Excellency Prof. Yemi Osinbajo SAN, and all the members of the Federal Executive Council for approving the procurement of the New Abuja Zonal Office

“Furthermore, l acknowledge and commend the Director-General of NIMASA, Dr Bashir Yusuf Jamoh, the Board of the Agency, members of the Executive Management, Top Management and Staff of NIMASA, and their contractors Messrs. Avalon Intercontinental Nigeria Limited for the successful delivery of this project which will no doubt serve the good people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Speaking earlier, the NIMASA DG, Bashir Jamoh, said that work place and working environment is crucial to every business enterprise.

He said: “imagine you are in a rented place and the landlord ask you to park out every time, when you have plenty to maintain a property and you can live in peace. So, our intention is to build a solid foundation for NIMASA.

This office was established in 1987 and Abuja office remains a cardinal office that interfaces with other agencies and we don’t have office environment, so the essence is to ensure that we maintain sanctity in terms of productivity to boost economic growth and development.

“This building will probably house the regional maritime bank,” Jamoh said.

NIMASA Abuja Office to Oversee Operations of Lokoja Safety Base, Says Sambo

•Building to house the regional maritime bank, Jamoh discloses

Kasim Sumaina in Abuja

The Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Jaji Sambo has hinted that the newly inaugurated multi-million Naira Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Abuja zonal office will oversee the operations of its Lokoja Safety Base.

This he said will thereby play a pivotal role in delivering the Agency’s regulatory responsibilities on safety matters in the Nigeria inland waterways.

Sambo therefore, noted that due to the strategic role the Abuja zonal office plays, it became imperative to establish a permanent station as several limiting factors encumber the current office from the restrictive nature of operating from a rented property, limiting NIMASA’s ability to restructure and modify the facility to meet exigencies necessary to increase productivity, to the long-term financial implications of paying exorbitant rents.

The Transportation Minister gave the hint on Tuesday in his keynote address at the inauguration of the new office in Abuja.

He stressed that as a nation at the cusp of an economic renaissance, with boundless opportunities in its Maritime Domain, the role of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency cannot be understated in the delivery of Nigeria’s economic potential.

However, “for us as a nation to achieve our potential, there is a strong need to put in place strategic and tangible structures that will yield quantifiable and intangible dividends in the years to come.

“As we flag off the commissioning of all completed projects by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, what will become apparent for all to see is the intentionality, commitment and focus of the Federal Government of Nigeria to ensure that the proper foundation is put in place so that as a people, we can continuously build towards a greater tomorrow.”

According to him, today, we are gathered here to commission the newly acquired NIMASA Abuja zonal office. “At the same time, there may be those who will raise questions about the need for a Maritime Administration to secure an office in Abuja, where there is no ocean.

“But I assure you that the acquisition of this office is not to fulfil another bureaucratic justification but due to the responsibilities and functions that the zonal office plays in discharging NIMASA’s mandate.”

He further explained that the Abuja zonal office serves as the nexus point between the NIMASA and the Federal Ministry of Transportation, the National Assembly, and all other relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies, as well as critical stakeholders like the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), amongst others.

Sambo added that apart from the reduction of cost of governance, the new Abuja zonal office will serve as the centrepiece of government relations on matters with bilateral and multilateral implications on International Trade and Cooperation, as such, enable the Agency to host Foreign Diplomats and other key Maritime Stakeholders in the Federal Capital Territory, thereby helping the Agency speedily achieve its mandate especially when they need to reach out to the different arms of Government.

All these factors he said have led to the acquisition of the new office and serve as further proof of the growth in capacity of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency due to its deepened role in the economic development of Nigeria.

Continuing, he opined that as the supervisory Ministry, “our support for NIMASA and the expansion of the maritime sector has been and will continue to be immense, and we are happy that the ripple effects of the support cuts across the length and breadth of Nigeria.

“We remain committed to our oversight function as we continue to create the enabling operational regimes for the Agencies and Departments under the FMOT. This project is, therefore, a pointer to our determination in that regard.

“At this juncture, it is important to appreciate the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Mohammadu Buhari GCFR, the Vice President, His Excellency Prof. Yemi Osinbajo SAN, and all the members of the Federal Executive Council for approving the procurement of the New Abuja Zonal Office

“Furthermore, l acknowledge and commend the Director-General of NIMASA, Dr Bashir Yusuf Jamoh, the Board of the Agency, members of the Executive Management, Top Management and Staff of NIMASA, and their contractors Messrs. Avalon Intercontinental Nigeria Limited for the successful delivery of this project which will no doubt serve the good people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Speaking earlier, the NIMASA DG, Bashir Jamoh, said that work place and working environment is crucial to every business enterprise.

He said: “imagine you are in a rented place and the landlord ask you to park out every time, when you have plenty to maintain a property and you can live in peace. So, our intention is to build a solid foundation for NIMASA.

This office was established in 1987 and Abuja office remains a cardinal office that interfaces with other agencies and we don’t have office environment, so the essence is to ensure that we maintain sanctity in terms of productivity to boost economic growth and development.

“This building will probably house the regional maritime bank,” Jamoh said.