Peterside receives Tell Award, vows to ensure Nigerians benefit from shipping

 
The Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has stated that the Agency will ensure that Nigerians benefit optimally from shipping and also assured that the maritime domain will be safe, secured and clean for all to do business.
The D-G, who stated this shortly after receiving the TELL Award of Excellence for the 2016 Public Organisation of the year 2016 in Lagos, noted that the award is to challenge the Agency to continue in its quest to improve on the ease of doing business in the Nigerian maritime domain, and assured investors in the Nigerian maritime of the safety of their investment.
Speaking further, he assured Nigerians that the Agency is leaving no stone unturned in curbing piracy activities in the Gulf of Guinea.
In his words, “We are working every day to put things right. The Maritime Security Architecture which the Federal Government of Nigeria is putting in place is to significantly curb sea robbery and piracy on our waterways. We also have the Anti Piracy Bill which will go a long way in aiding our fight against all maritime crimes when its passed into law”
While thanking the organisers and Nigerians for finding NIMASA worthy of the Award, Dakuku thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for his foresight in appointing the present Management team of NIMASA and dedicated the award to the Board, Management staff of the Agency, and all stakeholders for their support in discharging its core mandates.
 
NIMASA has attained full automation of all operational processes and the Agency has been restructured to semi-autonomous zonal operations so that functions such as issuance of Sailing Certificates, payment of bills and other operational procedures decentralized which has enhanced the Federal Government’s ease of doing business initiative to attract Foreign Direct Investment into Nigeria.
  
The present Management at NIMASA has intensified the Agency’s drive to ensure strict compliance of the International Ships and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code ISPS Code.
 
The recently approved Maritime Security Architecture and Infrastructure to be jointly coordinated by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the Ministry of Transportation and the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) is seen as one major reason Nigerian voted the Agency as the Public Organization of the year.
 
Other recipients of the awards include Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu who emerged winner in the National Icon of Democracy category, Governor Ben Ayade of Cross Rivers State as the Governor of the year, Nigeria’s First Lady, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, as the Woman of the year, and late Dele Giwa as the all-time “national icon of freedom of speech”, amongst others.