The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside has assured of the agency’s commitment to ensuring that all beneficiaries of the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP) conclude their programme by getting the mandatory sea-time training.
The DG who stated this when he addressed a group of NSDP beneficiaries who came to the head office of the agency to express concerns over the certainty of them getting the sea-time training, noted that NIMASA is doing all it can to ensure all those who graduated in the scheme are duly enrolled on ocean-going vessels within the shortest possible time.
He also assured that in addition to the over 600 Cadets who have benefitted so far from the sea time training, the agency is working so hard to ensure that another batch of not less than 200 cadets are enrolled between now and the first quarter of 2019.
“Sea-time training is your right and I assure you that none of you will be denied the mandatory sea-time training. On our part as an agency, we value human capacity development, which is the hallmark of any economy that will thrive; hence we will not rest on our oars until we see you succeed”, the DG said.
Speaking further, Dr. Peterside informed them that the agency is in discussions with some foreign institutions to place seafarers on board ocean-going vessels and that in no distant time more cadets will be placed on board for their sea-time training.
Dr. Peterside who also used the opportunity to commend the contribution of seafarers to the growth of the economy, expressed confidence that in no distant time, Nigeria will be a great exporter of seafarers on the African continent.
The Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme was conceived in 2008 as a policy to ameliorate the dearth in certified and qualified seafarers and of course the depletion of seafarers in the national pool due mainly to age and migratory instinct for greener pastures by seafarers.
Meanwhile, Dr. Dakuku Peterside has been re-elected the Chairman of the Association of African Maritime Administration (AAMA) for another term.
Dr. Dakuku who is the incumbent Chairman of the Association was unanimously elected to continue to lead the body by the member states present at the 4th conference of the continental body which recently met at the El-Sharm sheik in Egypt.
According to the Chief Operating Officer and Acting CEO of the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA), Mr. Sobantu Tilayi, the leadership style of the NIMASA DG has brought better relationship amongst the leaders of the maritime administrations on the continent.
He added that there is no better way to sustain the tempo than to re-elect Dr. Peterisde to continue to lead the charge.
In Mr. Tilayi’s words “Under Dr. Dakuku’s leadership, we have witnessed unprecedented level of cooperation amongst African nations especially as it concerns maritime. African regions are now willing to collaborate to grow the sector and address the security challenges bedevilling the continent’s maritime industry. So there is no better way than to re-elect our chairman to continue to lead this charge”.
In the same vein, the Director General of the Ghana Maritime Administration, Mr. Kwame Owusu said that AAMA under the leadership of Dr. Dakuku Peterside has promoted collaborations amongst African nations in order to tackle the issues that are hindering the development of maritime on the continent.
According to him, “Nigerians are blessed to have Dr. Dakuku Peterside as the head of their maritime administration because AAMA has witnessed his leadership style. More than ever Africans are willing to collaborate to tackle issues of piracy and other maritime crimes. I am sure after his second tenure we will push for him to have another term”.
Speaking shortly after his re-election, Dr. Peterside said that there was the need for African nations to cooperate in order to reap the benefits of the African maritime sector.
He noted that the volume of cargo generated from Africa and those that head to African must be commensurate with the developments of the continent’s maritime industry.
Commenting further, he said the laid down policies such as the African Integrated Maritime Strategy (AIMS), the Lome Charter and other strategies that have been developed to proffer solutions to the challenges that the African maritime sector faces must be collaboratively implemented by African Nations.
He further stressed that Africa must remain a bloc at international level when maritime decisions are being taken especially at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), as well as other forums where relevant decisions may be taken.
AAMA was established with backing of article 5 of the African Maritime Transport Charter (AMTC) with the aim of drawing up a master plan on measures necessary to progress the maritime agenda as envisaged in the African Maritime Transport Charter; strengthen cooperation at the regional, continental and international levels in harmonizing policies and goals necessary for the growth of the African Maritime Sector and enhancement of continental collaboration amongst others.
The association elected the DG of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside at its 3rd conference which was held in Abuja in 2017 and he has been re-elected to lead the body for another one year.
