By Sadiq Isa
IT was American author, salesman and motivational speaker, Zig Ziglar, who famously said: “Success occurs when opportunity meets preparation.”
Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dr Dayo Mobereola, is an exemplification of that remark.
With an impeccable academic background and rich experience in the transport sector, Mobereola’s rise to the helm of NIMASA is a testament to no less than 17 years of deliberate preparation meeting the right opportunity.
His appointment by President Bola Tinubu, on March 11, 2024, to lead NIMASA for a renewable four-year term was not just a political decision, it was a recognition of expertise, readiness and excellent record in public service.
These are attributes that have distinguished him within the transportation sector and made him a rare find among his peers to lead a demanding agency.
Barely one year and two months into his tenure, he has shown reasons that the president was right to have appointed him.
For instance, his understanding of public and private sector partnership from his days in the transport sector has nudged him to consistently stress that private sector investment is important in building a resilient and competitive maritime industry.
And this vision of his is not just rhetoric.
Which is why under his administration, NIMASA has enhanced its cabotage enforcement to ensure that Nigerian-owned vessels benefit from coastal trade opportunities.
Within a short while, Mobereola has also intensified monitoring efforts to ensure compliance with local content laws, thereby demonstrating a commitment to repositioning NIMASA as a key driver of Nigeria’s maritime economy.
Collaborations
In a similar vein, NIMASA has strengthened collaborations with security agencies to curb illicit activities in Nigerian waters.
An interesting and purposeful initiative in this regard is the agency’s partnership with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, to combat drug trafficking.
This collaboration has enhanced surveillance and intelligence-sharing mechanisms, significantly improving maritime security and ensuring safer, more regulated waterways for legitimate trade and investment.
Through the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, he facilitated Tinubu’s signing of six International Maritime Organisation, IMO, instruments of accession.
This milestone, industry observers at the time noted will update Nigeria’s record and rating with the global shipping body, aligning the country’s maritime governance with international standards.
Huge profile
Mobereola holds a Ph.D. and an M.Sc. in Transport Economics from the University of Wales, United Kingdom.
He is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Transport, England, and a Fellow of the same institute in Nigeria.
He was the Managing Director of Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, LAMATA, from 2003 to 2015 and the Commissioner for Transportation in Lagos State from 2015 to 2016.
Appointment and reception
His appointment was not only well-received at the policy level but also welcomed enthusiastically by maritime workforce.
Days after he was adjudged the best to lead NIMASA to a new era, the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, expressed full support for Mobereola while describing him as a seasoned technocrat whose leadership is both needed and timely.
President-General of MWUN Prince Adewale Adeyanju, in a statement through the Union’s Head of Media, John Kennedy Ikemefuna, hailed Mobereola’s background.
His words: “Dr Mobereola is of no doubt a technocrat who has acquired experiences over time and is well grounded in the transportation sector; therefore, he has what it takes to navigate the NIMASA Agency as it were.
“The leadership of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria is welcoming the new DG into his new designation with all hands open as he pilots the enormous affairs of NIMASA. The Union has had symbiotic relationships with past Directors -General of the Agency and believes the cordial relationship will continue to wax stronger with Dr. Mobereola.
“The Union will continue to give him usual support and cooperation with continuous in-house engagement for a mutual understanding of the maritime industry.“Once again, the Union welcomes Dr Mobereola as he assumes his new designation in NIMASA, and also prays that the God will give him the strength, wisdom and knowledge to have a smooth sail in piloting the affairs of the agency.”
Focus
Without betraying the workers’ trust, a year and two months after, Mobereola has made human capital and seafarers’ welfare one of his cardinal objectives, to the delight of those working in the sector.
Shortly after his appointment in June 2024, NIMASA began the process of replacing foreign seafarers with qualified Nigerians, an ambitious but necessary move aimed at creating local employment and building national capacity.
This happened just as the agency commenced the third phase of the National Seafarers Development Programme, NSDP.
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Mobereola, who spoke at the 2024 World Seafarers’ Day in Lagos, said that certain positions such as Ratings and Officer of the Watch will be designated as “no longer available” for foreign seafarers to occupy.
Mobereola also said that some other positions may be considered based on merit for foreigners to occupy.
In fact, he explained that the agency is exploring avenues to create jobs for local seafarers, including collaborating with government agencies like the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, and the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS.
His words: “Seafarers are the backbone of global trade. They brave challenging conditions, ensuring over 80% of the world’s trade reaches its destination. Their dedication strengthens not only the international economy, but more importantly, the well-being of their home nation, Nigeria.
“However, we recognise the humongous challenges seafarers face, including war zones, pirates, and exposure to health risks. We also acknowledge that some basic rights, such as proper insurance and compensation, are not always guaranteed. This is a call to action for all stakeholders’ government, ship-owners, and us at NIMASA – to address these issues and prioritize seafarer welfare.
“I wish to state that the agency’s human capacity building initiatives have resulted in the training and retraining of Nigerian Seafarers to acquire the required skills in line with industry needs. We have prioritised the training programmes/courses to enable the seafarers to acquire the relevant advanced certificates that will enhance their employment opportunities.”
Automation and digitization
It is such a mindset that has nudged him to further seek to enhance NIMASA’s efficiency, transparency and regulatory compliance through the Maritime Enhanced Monitoring System, MEMS, which is currently drawing criticisms from laggards, apologies to Everett Rogers.
It will be noted that introducing disruptive solutions to NIMASA’s operations was one of the reasons for the appointment of Mobereola by the visionary leader, President Tinubu.
While there has been poor assessment of MEMS by agents of the dark, the system would be beneficial to NIMASA by providing real-time visibility into vessel movements, operational logs and regulatory interactions.
In fact, through automated alerts, smart invoicing and centralised data integration, NIMASA will be able to detect, document and respond to maritime activities with greater precision and efficiency.
Little wonder then the magnitude of opposition that the technology is facing.
Undaunted by the hostility, the current leadership of NIMASA, like he is known for, has resolved to follow through on this technology that would bring into the coffers of government additional revenue to ensure funds due government does not end up in the pockets of individuals.
Response to crash
Another key thing that has distinguished his administration is the ability to collaborate with other international and foreign agencies.
A recent demonstration of this was NIMASA’s response to a helicopter crash off the coast of Bonny Finima in Rivers State.
The Sikorsky SK76, registered 5N-BQG and operated by East Wind Aviation, plunged into the Atlantic Ocean thus triggering a coordinated emergency response.
With the recovery of the Flight Data Recorder, FDR, and Cockpit Voice Recorder, CVR, Mobereola announced that it would share its findings with IMO.
A statement by the Head of Public Relations Directorate of the agency, Mr Edward Osagie, said by sharing the findings of the off-shore Port Harcourt helicopter crash with the IMO, NIMASA would be demonstrating Nigeria’s commitment to transparency, accountability and cooperation within the global maritime community.
Osagie said at that time: “The Global Integrated Shipping Information System is an online platform developed by the IMO to support the timely and accurate reporting of incidents, accidents, and other essential maritime data. This platform enables member-state to share information crucial to improving safety protocols, updating best practices and fostering international cooperation.”
Similarly, during a courtesy visit by the Chairman of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa, retd, to the NIMASA Towers in Lagos, the Director-General of NIMASA assured him that the agency would explore avenues to incorporate NDLEA personnel into the existing maritime security framework, with a particular focus on the Deep Blue Project.
•Isa is a maritime expert
