Barr. Osuala Nwagbara (Maritime Lawyer)
Barr. Osuala Nwagbara (Maritime Lawyer)
Before now, NIMASA has been highly politicized and it is in recent times that we have seen some team work with Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi coming on board in 2010 and also with the executive directors that were appointed in 2012. Before now he inherited some executive directors for the old regime which he didn't have a smooth sail with them. But since 2012 when the new executive directors come on board, we have seen a frog jump in the activities of NIMASA, we have seen attack headlong on piracy and oil theft on Nigerian waters, we have seen stepping up of security on our waters, we have seen so many seafarers sent abroad for training, there has been much empowerment for MAN Oron, even the recent ground breaking of the maritime university in Delta State are all achievements under Akpobolokemi's dispensation. The stability in NIMASA at the moment made it possible for the current Director General of NIMASA to have recorded these level of successes so far because he has been in office for close to four years and we have seen the benefit of stability.
David Pius (Stakeholder)
The appointment of Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi as the director general of NIMASA since 2010 has made tremendous changes as regards the mandate given to it. Previous DGs did not have ample time to perform because of their short stay in office. But in totality the current DG has taken the agency to another level and it is good for the industry and Nigeria as a whole. The former DG s had their own plans in place but due to the fact that they did not have enough time to executive such in the office, they couldn't carry it out. I still want to believe that others would have done better, if they had steady longer in office, but nevertheless the current DG has proven critics wrong because when he came on board in 2010 he was almost crucified by stakeholders because of his background, but today he has improved and things have changed in the agency.
Dr. Babatunde Samuel (Registrar, POTEMAN)
One of things we are clamouring for in this country is for people to stay a little longer in the system because a new person will come on board, he will learn the ropes and it will take time for such person to understudy the industry. To the best of my knowledge, the agency has put in its very best most especially the achievement it has in the last few years in the area of enforcement or international relations. However that doesn't mean the agency doesn’t have their shortfalls, there is the need for the agency to buckle up in the area of enforcement because we still have foreign shipping lines plying our waters without doing the right thing, but not withstanding we still give NIMASA a pass mark.
Daniel Gomina (Lecturer; Emdee Shipping and Maritime College)
NIMASA has really improved in the last four years. The leadership under Akpobolokemi has made the difference so far in the area of seafarers’ training and he has been able to send seafarers to other foreign countries as regards training. Now the number of seafarers with foreign knowledge regarding maritime exposure has increased, therefore we can say that there have been positive changes in that regard. He has also ensured that all vessels coming to Nigeria must comply with the mandate set aside for it. He has also ensured that all vessels coming into Nigeria must be compliant in order not to pollute or destroy our environment and before now such act was handled with levity in the past. We are now ISPS code- complaint courtesy NIMASA, so things have changed for the better.
Nnamdi Eronini (GM, Nigerian Chamber of Shipping)
We will start from the leadership of NIMASA which has only become stable now, and I can say that with the stable leadership, there is now a measurable progress, we can see that NIMASA has now established institutes for maritime training at Universities, they also just flagged off a maritime university; first of its kind and it is novel, they also flagged off the Dockyard and shipyard to support the Cabotage, they have equally done a lot about seafarers’ training, the DG has mentioned the intention of floating a new shipping line which will further employ our trained seafarers. The only problem is that we as Nigerians have strong pessimism, but I think right now, what the industry needs is collective support, there should be massive collaboration among the agencies of government in the maritime industry so that we can achieve success, something good is happening in NIMASA and we need to give them support.
Sampson Chima (Registrar, NIS)
My assessment of NIMASA is that they are doing good, they are trying their best in implementing the NIMASA Act, in the area of maritime safety, pollution control and in terms of Cabotage. Also recently, the establishment of a university, I will say it’s a good thing because they are trying to bridge the gap in maritime education; this is also done by other countries. So, in the past six years, I will give NIMASA kudos, they are really trying, the area I will like to advise them on however, is the area of seafarers’ development and ship ownership by Nigerians, the National carrier status and so on, these two aspects are very important. I give them a high percentage in execution of their mandate.
Owolabi Omotayo (Water Transporter)
I will give NIMASA 65 percent in development of the maritime sector and safety of the waterways, but more is still to be done. In the area of establishing another shipping line, they should ensure that they empower the indigenous shipowners very well to run the shipping line, the serious minded ones among them should be encouraged to acquire these vessels, if they acquire 29 vessels and give two to each indigenous companies while NIMASA ensures that all the rules as to their management are adhered to. In the past six years, I will rate them a little bit high; I give them 65 percent. However, there are still controversies in the management of NIMASA which has to be rectified; they also have to do more by fighting piracy and regulating the safety of our maritime environment.
Gbolahan Quadri (maritime lecturer)
In the area of manpower development, NIMASA is trying their best, but it’s not just enough, they lack the political will to really carry out their mandate, there are institutions on ground that NIMASA can pump money into and it will compete with others around the world, the Maritime University in Ghana is not as old as the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, but they are doing fine, but here, unfortunately we are not developing infrastructures, floating another maritime university is not the best thing, what NIMASA ought to do was to make sure that the one on ground is well funded that even the IMO will recognize them, not that we will be begging for recognition. Another government can come in tomorrow and nullify everything NIMASA has done about the university, and this will return us back to status quo, the cadets will be thrown into comatose.
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