The Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Sambo has commissioned the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) new Abuja zonal office.
Sambo while giving his opening remarks said the role of the agency cannot be understated in the delivery of Nigeria’s economic potential noting that the new office will improve service delivery and economic development.
He said the new office will serve 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.
He said, “ 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.”
Sambo said the Abuja Zonal office will further oversee the operations of the NIMASA’s Lokaja Safety Base, thereby playing a pivotal role in delivering the Agency’s regulatory responsibilities on safety matters in our inland waterways.
“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 NIMASAs ability to restructure and modify the facility to meet exigencies necessary to increase productivity, to the long-term financial implications of paying exorbitant rents.
“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 have led to the acquisition of the New Abuja Zonal 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.
“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,” he said.
Sambo commended the Director-General of NIMASA, Dr Bashir Yusuf Jamoh, the board and staff of the Agency as well as their contractors Messrs. Avalon Intercontinental Nigeria Limited for the successful delivery of the project.
