Nimasa Mandates Shipping Firms to Employ Indigenous Seafarers

Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (Nimasa) has instructed all oil companies in Nigeria, mainly those in off-shore areas to deploy the services

of Nigerian cadets onboard their vessels.
Dr. Ziakede Akpobolokemi, director general issued this instruction at the sensitization programme to mark the United Nations Day of Seafarers recently in Lagos. This is part of new initiative directed at improving manpower capacity in the nation’s maritime sector. Nimasa has ordered that from the on set, Nigerian cadet seafarer on board a vessel would be pre-requisite for any cabotage operation by the vessel.
Mrs Irene Macfoy, who represented, assistant director, Maritime Capacity Building Unit, Nimasa, who represented the Nimasa DG said that one major task of his administration was to strengthened the seafaring sector of the nation’s maritime sector, citing that the sector had suffered much neglect by previous administrations.
Akpobolokemi stated that the agency is now at the peak of Cabotage Act implementation in order to ensure that local content development is given adequate priority, as this will boost Nigerian seafarers’ confidence.
According to him, the agency has the President’s support on the directives given to the shipping firms, and all the operators maritime sector, and that it will ensure that compliance is adhered to the later.
The Nimasa boss stated that the Federal Government had spotted the sector as a major source of employment in the nation, adding that there is the need to closely monitor the development of Seafarers’ contributions in the sector, without losing focus on competence and professionalism.
Capt. Adewale Ishola (rtd), former president, Nigeria Association of Master Mariners(NNMM) said that the forthcoming World’s Seafarer’s Day celebration is specially, set aside by the United Nations to celebrate seafarers globally which will come up in a short while, noting that Nigeria, being a maritime nation among the world’s maritime nations, would be celebrating the day in a remarkable way.
He said that the Presidency and the maritime stakeholders had agreed to work together as one team to ensure the development of local seafarers needed to boost Nigeria’s rating, as a full-fledged maritime country.
“In line with what our counterparts around the world are doing on this day, we the Nigerian Association of Master Mariners, in collaboration with other stakeholders in the industry, together with maritime regulators- Nimasa, NPA, Shippers Council, Inland Waterways and other stakeholders, including our own Nigerian Merchant Navy Association, the Siemen Union and the Maritime Workers Union and Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (Maran) are members of these committee work.
“The Presidency is very much aware of what we are doing and they are going to be well represented at this occasion. The state governments, our highly reputable traditional rulers, most especially, the Oba of Lagos, is going to be the father of the day. The maritime guru, Aare Sarumi will be the chairman of the occasion,” Ishola added.
Source: Nigeria Communications Week