When the then- NMA was founded, the intention of government was to have an agency that would engineer a rapid development of the nation’s shipping and maritime sector by creating a better platform and more opportunities for indigenous shipping practitioners in sea-borne trade.
When the then- NMA was founded, the intention of government was to have an agency that would engineer a rapid development of the nation’s shipping and maritime sector by creating a better platform and more opportunities for indigenous shipping practitioners in sea-borne trade.
In a nutshell, apart from its general responsibilities for maritime safety administration, what is generally called commercial responsibilities, port and flag state control and of course, Cabotage, Nigeria’s maritime administration agency (in this case, NMA) was created to improve the lot Nigerian ship owners and other categories of operators in the sector.
For those who still remember the early days of NMA; up until mid-1990s, the agency only became an avenue for award of contracts, without consideration for execution of its mandate. The agency also became known for uncoordinated and ridiculous cargo allocation system as cargoes that would have been carried by genuine indigenous ship owners were offered to briefcase shipping companies.
Much later, a good opportunity to retrace itself was offered in the name of the Ship Acquisition and Ship Building Fund (SASBF). But, rather than judiciously manage the funds which accrued from statutory payments into the agency’s coffers, the NMA only succeeded in creating millionaires out of non-ship owning individuals.
So far in its history, NIMASA (that is from 1987 when it was created) has had 10 chief executive officers. When it was NMA, it had: Dr Bassey Ekong (now deceased), Alhaji Munir Ja’far, Engr Buba Galadima, Mr Patrick Egesi, Dr George Eneh, Mr Ferdinand Agu and Engr Festus Ugwu(now deceased). And since it became NIMASA, following the merger with the Joint Maritime Labour Industrial Council (JOMALIC), it has also had Mrs Mfon Usoro, Dr Ade Dosunmu, Mr Temisan Omatseye, and now, Mr Ziakede Akpobolokemi.
To say that the office of chief executive of NIMASA (and even the then-NMA) has always been highly politicized is to state the obvious. Each minister wants his own protégé to be the director general. It started towards the tail end of the tenure of Alhaji Munir Jafar’ as the director general of NMA, when he was reportedly removed on the instruction of the then-Head of State (now late) General Sani Abacha who directed his minister of transport (now deceased too) Major General Ibrahim Dahiru Gumel to kick the crown prince of Zauzau Emirate in Kaduna state out. He was replaced with Alhaji Buba Galadima who was later to use NMA to fund the allegedly transmutation campaign of late General Abacha.
About 27 years of NMA and about seven years of NIMASA and with seven and four chief executive officers at the saddle respectively, it is apt to take stock of a few things and draw conclusions.
First, would the maritime industry have been better-off without the merger of both NMA and the then-Joint Maritime Labour Industrial Council (JOMALIC). In other words, did the merger overwhelm subsequent chief executives? Is NIMASA suffering from the carry-over of its ineptitude while it was called NMA? Is it true that from NMA to NIMASA, the problem has been with the appointment of non-professionals to manage the nation’s apex maritime regulatory agency? Are all these posers collectively responsible for the high turn-over of chief executives of the agency?
Sadly, when examined from the angle of its core mandates which are: shipping development, maritime labour, safety (which has now included security), Cabotage and so on, the verdict of most stakeholders is that NIMASA has performed below average.
The multitude of seafarers who are unemployed apparently because they are ill-equipped is a pointer to the fact that maritime education and training is not being given adequate attention.
We are quite conscious of aim of the National Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP) of the agency, even though we have our reservations about its worth in the long run.
Thinking that with the Cabotage Act in the kitty, indigenous seafarers were the most optimistic that their lots would be enhanced, but how wrong they were, as about 10 years down the line, there is really nothing to cheer, little wonder that they have persistently clamoured for a review(as if it would solve the problems). Rather than enhance the nation’s tonnage, the number and quality of indigenous ships have nose-dived since 2003.
While not agreeing that the agency is overwhelmed by its numerous responsibilities, we are also worried that, the exactitude with which NIMASA is handling some of these things may give the impression that it is always bidding for time. The agency fought for and got endorsement as the focal agency for the implementation of the ISPS Code in Nigeria, because it’s most suitable for it. However, how compliant are the ports and the various facilities today. It took two visits from the United States Coast Guard for it to demonstrate minimum readiness.
But, in other spheres, it is obvious that it’s on the right track. One can safely postulate that, perhaps, because the incumbent DG has had the privileged of a relatively long tenure than all his predecessors, there appears to be a rejig. The sustained NSDP is a plus for the current chief executive officer of the apex maritime regulatory agency. But we also take note of the fears that have been expressed by stakeholders about the future of the cadets.
The NIMASA has also fared well in the area of tackling sea robbery, thanks to its partnership with the Navy. Not much has been seen in the contract it entered into with a private organisation for the security of the nation’s waterways though.
If the lot of the Nigerian ship owner is not better, if there isn’t sufficient safety on our waters, if the population of unemployed seafarers is swelling by the day, and if the Cabotage has been poorly executed to the disadvantage of indigenous players in the Nigerian maritime sector, then NIMASA will need to reappraise its approach to the execution of its mandate.
It is appropriate to advice that a much more purpose-driven approach to the fulfillment of its mandate should be embraced.
The incumbent DG can not complain of insufficient time, he can’t also complain of shortage of qualified manpower, because we are aware that the agency now has sufficient number of qualified personnel, from bottom to top.
It is becoming obvious to many that the crop of management that NIMASA has is enjoying maximum cooperation of its employers, so we think that the industry must benefit from this.
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