“The greatest threat to Nigeria’s blue economy is sea blindness“.
– Dr. Jamoh, DG/CEO, NIMASA
The Director General/CEO of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh, OFR, made the above statement at the Maiden Annual Lecture of the Institute of Maritime Studies, University of Lagos held on Tuesday, April 4, 2023.
For the first time in 2023, the University played host to a large number of key industry players in the maritime industry. They trouped in their numbers to the J. F. Ade. Ajayi Auditorium, the venue of the lecture entitled: “From Crude to Blue – Nigeria’s Blue Economy: The Imperative of Maritime Domain Awareness and Good Governance.”
The Lecture had in attendance, the Minister of State for Transportation, Prince Ademola Adegoroye who had sweet memories of the University; the Head, Corporate Banking Division at Access Bank Plc, Mrs. Iyabo Soji-Okunsanya who represented the Chairman of the occasion, Dr. Dere Awosika MFR, (Chairman, Access Bank Plc.); Acting AGM, Harbour, Captain U. Eborieme who represented the Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA); a Board member, NPA, Mrs. Florence Babalola-Smith; President of the National Association of Master Mariners, Captain Tajudeen Alao; 11th Vice-Chancellor of UNILAG, Professor Rahaman Bello, current Vice-Chancellor, UNILAG, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, other principal officers of the University, to mention a few.
The Director General/CEO, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, who was the guest speaker highlighted the vision, mission and core values of NIMASA. He disclosed that the agenda of Agency since his assumption of duty in 2020, anchored on the “Triple S” – the NIMASA Performance Tripod; S1 being Maritime Security, S2: Maritime Safety and S3: Shipping Development.
The Lecture focused on issues the Nigerian economy faced before the advent of crude oil; Maritime Domain Awareness; the blue economy in Nigeria’s economic evolution; the economic threats faced by Nigeria’s crude ranging from air, land and water pollution, to oil thefts, to the move from fossil fuels to more renewable energy, to mention a few.
While emphasizing the nation’s maritime assets and inland assets, the NIMASA boss listed some of the threats to the blue economy, prospects and opportunities from the blue economy, capacity building in NIMASA,
His words, “The Greatest Threat to Nigeria’s Blue Economy is Sea Blindness. So many people have sea blindness, as they don’t know what constitutes the blue economy and how they are harnessed. That can only be done through this kind of fora.”
Dr. Jamoh noted that NIMASA had established Institutes of Maritime Studies in 6 universities in the 6 geo-political zones in Nigeria to build maritime skills.
He rounded off the lecture with immediate recommendations aimed at developing the nation’s blue economy to continental and intercontinental levels.
Watch the Maiden Lecture below:
