Director General of, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Dr. Bashir Jamoh, has stated that the Maritime industry in Nigeria is large enough to sustainably engage the teeming youths.
Dr Jamoh disclosed this Tuesday during a courtesy visit by the Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Major General Barry Ndiomu (rtd), at the Maritime House, Apapa, Lagos State.
He noted that there are enormous opportunities in the Nigerian Maritime Industry that youths can take advantage of to generate foreign earnings.
The DG noted that the meeting between both agencies is a wakeup call on the need to collaborate efforts, as both agencies are closely related. He recalled that in 2021 when he visited the Amnesty Office in Abuja, there was an agreement to form a Joint Board Meeting to drive more conversations for collaboration.
He added that this was a critical time for NIMASA and PAP to have a robust and formidable relationship, adding that “the international community is already commending Nigeria for the successes recorded in addressing Maritime insecurity in the country”.
“Both the Nigerian government and international committee are watching to see if the tempo can be sustained”, he said.
Jamoh thus suggested that to sustain the current tempo, it was important to fully empower and reintegrate beneficiaries of the Amnesty Programme into the society.
He informed that NIMASA has trained over 4,000 Nigerians internationally under the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme, the majority of whom are from the Niger Delta.
Earlier in his remarks, the PAP Interim Administrator commended the DG and his team for redefining the safety and security of Nigeria’s Maritime Industry. “I’m aware of your outstanding achievements, particularly in the obvious reduction of piracy on the Gulf of Guinea,” Ndiomu said of Jamoh.
On his agenda for the Amnesty Programme, the General said: “My vision is to chart a new path for the Amnesty Programme by upholding the principal objectives of government, by bringing innovative ideas, setting a new Management structure of wealth creation for the teeming youths, instead of depending on monthly stipends, to pave way for a more prosperous future.”
While encouraging NIMASA to sustain the partnership with PAP, Ndiomu called for more collaboration and cooperation from international stakeholders.
He added that in the Maritime domain, the PAP has trained a large number of ex-agitators across institutions in the world in various specializations, some of which include Deep Sea Diving, Underwater Welding, and Marine Engineering. He regretted that after these trainings, many of them remain unemployed.
Gen. Ndiomu further sought the possibility of the establishment of a Coordinating Secretariat between PAP and NIMASA to drive strategic engagement and conversations. “We are looking at exploring technical support from NIMASA, job placement opportunities in within the Maritime Industry for our qualified delegates”, he added.
