By Joy Okoli
Former Head of State, General Abdulsalam Abubakar, Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF, Boss Mustapha, and the Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, will be leading other stakeholders to the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency NIMASA Maritime Awards scheduled to take place on Saturday, January 12, 2019 at the Eko Hotels at 6pm.

Meanwhile, the Governors of Lagos, Ogun, Enugu, Ondo, Kaduna, Kebbi and Borno states as well as Honourable Ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria are also expected at the occasion.

Others expected to attend are Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Mr. Femi Otedola, Dr. (Mrs.) Nike Akande, as well as royal fathers, including His Highness, the Emir of Kano, Mallam Sanusi Lamido, His Imperial Majesty, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, top government officials, National Assembly members and members of the diplomatic corps.

The event, tagged “NIMASA Merit Awards and Corporate Dinner”, which will be hosted by the Minister of Transportation and chaired by the SGF, will also showcase an array of stakeholders in the Nigerian maritime industry, some of who will be recognised for their outstanding contributions to the realisation of the Agency’s mandate of driving the sector in 2018.

The award categories include Shipping Company of the Year 2018 (Dry Cargo), Shipping Company of the Year 2018 (Wet Cargo), Maritime Education and Training Institute of the Year 2018, Manning Agent of the Year 2018, and Seafarers’ Employer of the Year 2018.

Themed “Our Journey to Excellence, it will be an evening to celebrate our Core Values of Commitment, Accountability, Professionalism, Integrity, Teamwork, Excellence, Leadership, and Discipline in the Agency and industry as a whole.”

Some of the members of staff of the Agency will be honoured for outstanding performance and an Employee of the Year will be picked from the 11 winners of the Employee of the Month awards from January to November 2018.

It would be recalled that at last year’s event, Maersk Nigeria Limited, Gulf Agency Company GAC Nigeria Ltd, Charkins Maritime, and Offshore Safety Centre, among others, were duly recognised with corporate and industry awards.

The NIMASA Merit Awards and corporate dinner will be an event of glitz, glamour and glitter to mark the end of year activities of the Agency.