The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh has said that the agency is set to reopen the Lokoja office, as part of efforts towards harnessing the blue economy, enhancing collaboration, while also promoting research and development.
Playing host to the Executive Secretary of the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (KADSEMA), Mallam Usman Hayatu Mazadu at the head office of the agency in Lagos, the DG said that investment in research would play a major role in ensuring the harnessing of Nigeria’s maritime potentials.
He said: “The key cardinal principle of opening the NIMASA Lokoja office is to improve on research and development. Our goal is to establish the nexus in maximising the use of available resources in the nation’s inland waterways and the deep blue waters within 28 states, spanning over 4,000 kilometers of inland waters and over 200 nautical miles of ocean resources; with the coming of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
“Now, the blue economy has come to stay and very soon you will see the impact of what we have; in terms of the gains and benefits to grow our Gross Domestic Product, while improving the well-being of our own economy”.
Earlier, Usman lauded NIMASA for the feat achieved so far, which, he said, cuts across the entire Nigeria. While seeking for cooperation with the agency in possible areas, he expressed the readiness of KADSEMA to support the agency in areas that may be deemed possible.
