Abuja Zonal Office will ease discharging of NIMASA’s mandate- Sambo

... Zonal office will increase productivity, and quality service delivery- Dr Jamoh

Oru Leonard 

The Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Jaji Sambo has said that the acquisition of the Abuja Zonal office for NIMASA is not to fulfill another bureaucratic justification but due to the responsibilities and functions that the zonal office plays in discharging NIMASA’s mandate.

Sambo who stated this while speaking at the Commissioning of the Zonal office explained that the office will serve as the nexus point between 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, “The Abuja Zonal Office further oversees the operations of the NIMASA’s Lokoja Safety Base, thereby playing a pivotal role in delivering the Agency’s regulatory responsibilities on safety matters in our inland waterways.

“Therefore, 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 NIMASA’s 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 centerpiece 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.”

Speaking earlier, NIMASA’s Director General/Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Bashir Yusuf Jamoh, noted that the new office will increase productivity, adding that the overall makeup of the structure is expected to constitute an enabling environment for quality service delivery.

“Our intention is to make sure that we build a solid foundation for the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency in terms of productivity, economic growth and development. Today we are proud to have an edifice that can stand the test of time worldwide.

“This edifice reflects my management’s commitment to providing a world-class working environment in addition to the recently rebuilt and improved conditions of service for all employees. With this investment, we have taken things up a notch by providing support, infrastructure, environment regarding safety and security. We practice what we preach”, he said.

The Edifice is name after the late maritime guru Otunba Olakunle Folarin, who until his death, was the Chairman of the Nigerian Ports Consultative Council.

Late Folarin is said to have contributed in no small measure to the progress and the trajectory of the maritime industry in Nigeria.