NIMASA DG, Mobereola Hosts his First Parley with Maritime Media Professionals

… Addresses Various Industry Concerns

Kathy Kyari

Dr Dayo Mobereola, Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), has expressed his desire to build a mutually beneficial partnership with the press.

Dr. Mobereola was addressing journalists during an interactive session with maritime media professionals on Monday at the Eko Hotels in Lagos, five months after being appointed.

During the event, the DG emphasized the importance of media relationships, emphasizing journalists' role in influencing public perception and keeping the agency responsible.

“What is most important is data and knowledge sharing. If we do not provide you with accurate information that we have spent time and knowledge collecting, we cannot expect you to report accurately,” he said.

The DG also spoke on salient issues in the industry while responding to questions from the participants during the session.

On debt recovery, he stated that some organizations have been contracted to assist in the recovery of payments owed by stakeholders.

Though the names of the corporations were not revealed to the public, Moberola indicated that the two organizations will go to great lengths to recover debts owed by ship owners.

In order to address boat mishaps on Nigeria's brown waters, Mobereola also disclosed that the agency has formed a strategic alliance with the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA).

He continued by assuring that the modular floating dock will shortly begin operations and mentioning that NIMASA executive management members had recently visited the port and had given a number of management-related suggestions.

While he disclosed that the organization is thinking of pulling out more than 300 National Seafarers Development Program (NSDP) cadets from Centurion University in India, Mobereola stated that the organization is releasing comprehensive plans to ensure job placement for Nigerian cadets and graduates.

“We have not decided to bring those students back home. What we are doing is reviewing how the school has been engaged. Is it in the students’ best interest? Will they be well-prepared graduates who are employable by the industry?” he said.

He claims that the money raised through the CVFF is still there and that the organization would focus on cargo availability in order to maintain the fund's ongoing operations and prevent a repeat of the SASBF tragedy.

During the ongoing review of the NIMASA Act of 2007, he stated that all maritime infrastructures, from large ships to small boats, would be subject to regulations under the revised bill.

He specifically mentioned the smaller boats, which are frequently utilized for illegal activities like piracy and sea robberies.

“In the new bill, we aim to ensure that every boat in our waters is regulated, registered, and monitored,” he said.

In addition to the training of media practitioners and the payment of media professionals covering the sector, which is included in the 2024 budget, Dr. Mobereola pledged More improvements in media relations.