The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Dr. Dakuku Peterside has stated that Africa is ready to engage on equal terms with the rest of the world in the area of maritime businesses.
Dakuku said this known at the Nor-Shipping 2017 event holding at Lillstrome, Norway from May 29 till June 2.
He said, “What we are trying to do is to change the terms of engagement for the rest of the world in terms of maritime businesses. We want to operate on equal terms not lopsided terms against our own interest, thereby creating room for a mutually beneficial relationship.
“There are lots of opportunities in the maritime administration of Nigeria; we are diversifying our economy, we are the biggest economy in Africa with a vast population, vast coastline of over 800 kilometers, endowed with many natural resources and a good Gross Domestic Product (GDP) amongst others. So if you have to do business in Africa, you must talk about Nigeria”, he said.
Meanwhile, the NIMASA DG who was recently appointed the Chairman of the Association of African Maritime Administrations stated that part of the initiative to grow the African maritime industry is to rapidly build capacity amongst nations within the continent.
He also noted that there are no African fleets, hence the need for nations to develop their own fleets has become inevitable while the terms of trade are being looked into.
He equally added that the African continent is working together to see how to benefit from one another’s experiences, which will help in the running of the affairs of their maritime administrations.
PIX: Executive Director, Operations, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Engr. Rotimi Fashakin, Director, Maritime Services, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Mr. Dauda Danjuma, Director General, NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, Head, Protocol NIMASA, Kehinde Bolaji, Chairman, House Committee, Maritime Safety, Education and Administration, Honourable Mohammed Umaru Bago, Managing Director, National Inland Waterways (NIWA), Mr. Boss Mustapha and the Assistant Director, Protocol, NIMASA Mr. Buba Umar at the Nor-Shipping 2017 in Lillstrome, Norway.
