The Director-General (D-G) of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has said that the maritime sector and logistics are the driving force behind globalisation, stressing that everything about trade and development is centred on maritime transport and logistics.
Dakuku stated this at the inauguration of Council Members of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) and investiture of Fellowship awards held in Lagos.
He noted that NIMASA was working hard to ensure that Nigeria continued to position itself for optimal benefits from international transport and logistics.
The Director-General said NIMASA was willing and ready to partner with CILT, as they are very crucial to the growth of the maritime sector.
Dakuku said: “The maritime sector is all about movement of goods from one point to another and this cannot be done without logistics. This is a confirmation of the fact that everything about trade and development depends solely on logistics.”
The D-G, who spoke on behalf of other awardees shortly after the investiture of the Fellowship awards, assured that they will all work together to ensure the quick passage of the Act establishing the CILT. He expressed optimism that the bill would be passed before the end of next year and assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The NIMASA Director-General commended the leadership of CILT for their commitment to the development of the transportation sector, pledging that the new inductees will ensure that CILT is established on a sound footing in Nigeria and that capacity building of members will be made a priority.
Speaking at the event also, the National President of CILT, Mr. Jibril Ibrahim, pledged the commitment of CILT to the growth of the maritime sector in Nigeria. Ibrahim also emphasised the critical role of logistics in the actualisation of a robust maritime sector and promised that the body will continue to partner relevant agencies and stakeholders to make Nigeria’s maritime sector viable and competitive.
The CILT President, who is also the Director, Maritime Labour Services at NIMASA, called for more inter-agency collaboration to solve the problem of traffic congestion at the port area.
On his own part, the Director-General of the African Centre for Supply Chains, Dr. Obiora Madu, who was Chairman of the occasion, suggested a stronger partnership with the various agencies in the area of capacity building. Madu noted that the intellectual capacity of the institute was needed in the agencies of government. He charged the inductees to bring in their wealth of experience and expertise to assist CILT achieve its aim of realising a viable transportation sector.
The highpoint of the event was the award of Fellowship to deserving industry stakeholders, who have contributed to the growth of the maritime sector. Among the inductees were Dr. Dakuku; Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Miss Hadiza Bala Usman; and Managing Director of Creseda International Limited, Mr. Jonas Nilsson.
