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70% of NIMASA revenue comes from Lagos, says Jamoh

 Seventy per cent of revenue generated by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) comes from Lagos, the Director General of the agency, Dr. Bashir Jamoh has disclosed.

Speaking at the foundation laying ceremony of the NIMASA Institute of Maritime Studies, University of Lagos, at the weekend, Jamoh said that when he took over in 2020, he began to look at the maritime institutes being built by the agency and discovered that no budget provision was made for the construction of the institute in south west.

 The director general said he was seriously disturbed when he looked at the revenue generation of the agency and discovered that 70 per cent of the agency’s revenue is generated in Lagos and yet the agency had not commenced the construction of the maritime institute in the zone.

“I was seriously disturbed when I look at the revenue generation of the agency, about 70 per cent is being generated from Lagos and yet we have not started constructing the institute in the University of Lagos and by extension in the South West”, he stated.

 To correct the injustice and ensure that all the six geopolitical zones in the country benefit from the NIMASA policy of building maritime institute in each of the zones, in 2021 he took the budget to the National Assembly for approval for the commencement of the construction of the institute in the University of Lagos.

“In 2021, I took the budget to the National Assembly to commence the building of the institute in University of Lagos to ensure justice for all the geopolitical zones so that one area is not left behind,” he stressed. 

Jamoh explained that NIMASA introduced the policy to build Institute of Maritime Studies in each of the geopolitical zones in the country.

He said further that the agency decided to partner with six Nigerian universities and establish the institutes in order for Nigeria to conserve foreign exchange, develop capacity, exchange ideas with foreign universities and have partnership with the World Maritime University.

According to Jamoh, in 2014 when University of Lagos was selected for south west, land was provided and contractor selected but somewhere along the line the agency was unable to commence commence of construction.

He was delighted that the Transportation Minister, Engr. Mu’azu Jaji Sambo, was around for the ground breaking event to lay the foundation of the institute.

In his speech, Sambo stated that he had a nostalgic feeling as he approached the university, having two times nursed the ambition to get post graduate certificates from the university after he left Ahmadu Bello University with first degree.

The minister remarked that the University of Lagos remained indelible in his mind for giving him opportunity to study MBA program which he rigorously pursued for one year but had to abandon when he was transferred to Abuja.

Sambo disclosed his age long ambition to have a University of Lagos certificate in his CV but was comforted that it would now be  on record that he laid the foundation of the NIMASA Institute of Maritime Studies in the University which according to him would serve more than a certificate.

In her welcome remarks, the Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola who was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Development Services, Prof. Ayodele Victoria Asenuwa, expressed the appreciation of the University community to the Minister of Transportation and the NIMASA boss for selecting the university for the establishment of the institute and for the foundation laying ceremony.

She promised the university’s cooperation and support to the laudable project.

Story written by Tunde Ojudun,

editor

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