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  • Nigerians, Africans must direct their destiny, says Peterside

    The Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has urged Nigerians and other Africans to guard the fledgling democracy, which is gradually taking root on the continent.

    He said this would help catalyse economic development on the continent and by extension the maritime sector.

    Peterside, who is also the chairman of Association of African Maritime Administration (AAMA), spoke yesterday in Lagos during a breakfast with reporters to mark the Eid-el-Kabir.

    He said AAMA under his leadership has prioritised projecting Africa as a block deserving a larger share of global maritime trade, based on its contributions.

    “Some African countries still operate along colonial inclination and that tends to slow down development, particularly in the maritime sector. In those countries where democracy is fully thriving, such as Nigeria, stakeholders in the maritime sector now speak with the voice of development, independent of colonial masters. AAMA, under my watch, has given African maritime sector a new voice, particularly at the International Maritime Organisation, IMO”, Peterside said.

    Commenting on how the agency has become one of the leading parastatals of the Federal Government in its contribution to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF), the NIMASA D-G said some policies his administration adopted alongside the Treasury Single Account (TSA) were responsible.

    “NIMASA has transformed from contributing barely 3 billion naira to over 20 billion naira annually to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) and it will keep getting better,” he said.

    Peterside added: “In order to block financial leakages, we subscribed to a full bouquet of the Lloyds and Clarkson intelligence; this made it almost impossible for any vessel calling at our ports to escape or under declare. The TSA and our collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), among other agencies, also played an important role.”

    He restated NIMASA’s commitment to growing indigenous capacity in the sector, noting that the engagement ongoing between the agency and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) was aimed at securing special interest rates and intervention funds for vessel acquisition and other ancillary transactions in the sector, geared towards improving the Cabotage regime and the realisation of a robust maritime sector.

    Peterside, who referred to the maritime sector as a goldmine, took the opportunity to call for more objectivity in the report of activities of the sector.

    He said the agency would embrace all forms of collaborative initiatives that could help boost the fortunes of the nation’s maritime sector.

    In his Eid-el-Kabir message, the NIMASA D-G urged Nigerians to love one another and live peacefully as they celebrate Sallah, adding that the period was not only for merriment, but also a time to reflect on happenings in the country.

     

     

     

  • Peterside: Wike won’t get second term

    Rivers State All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain Dr. Dakuku Peterside has  said Governor Nyesom Wike will not be re-elected.

    He described as toxic, the investment climate in the state, saying it is forcing companies and businesses to be relocating to Lagos and other places.

    Peterside, who is the director-general of Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), spoke on Sunday evening in Port Harcourt, the state capital, at a session with reporters.

    He said: “I have totally turned around the fortunes of NIMASA and President Muhammadu Buhari is extremely proud of what I am doing in NIMASA. On May 29, 2019, Wike will leave as governor of Rivers State, whether I am governorship candidate of APC or not. I am totally for it. I am part of the team that will make Wike leave next year. We have never had it this bad in Rivers State. Wike and his allies act as if they are not accountable to anyone.

    “Stopping Wike next year by the electorate is about the survival of Rivers State. It is about hope for Rivers people. Enough is enough of the bad governance, for Rivers people to have breath of fresh air, hope and have commensurate development. Wike’s government has more money compared with Amaechi’s administration, without anything to show for it. Wike should show Rivers people one project he initiated and completed. We built five flyovers in Amaechi’s government, but Wike is yet to build one flyover.

    “Rivers State is at the bottom of Transparency Index (TI) in this country. Rivers State government’s budgets from 2015 are not published/made public. Not one Rivers State government project is advertised, except the third-party projects. Wike is running a secret government. How do you explain the fact that nobody knows the cost of projects? IGR (Internally Generated Revenue) is not known to anybody. Monthly allocation is a best kept secret. No access to information on government activities. No due process in the conduct of government business, forgetting that government is a public trust.

    “Wike may have blocked all the loopholes/leakages, but he remains the pipeline of corruption in the government. Wike’s commissioners can testify to the fact. He is the sole awarding authority for contracts, he is the supervising authority, the certifying authority and the sole beneficiary.”

    Commissioner for Information and Communications Chief Emma Okah urged Peterside to stop deluding himself about the possibility of defeating Wike next year.

    Okah said: “Elections are not won in the media. In 2015, even with a sitting state governor (Amaechi), Peterside lost in his LGA. What has changed for him that will make APC overtake the giant achievements of Governor Wike?

    ”On investors leaving Rivers state, the information commissioner asked the NIMASA chief to first mention the millions of jobs lost in Nigeria, since APC came to power in 2015.

    Okah said: “On the contrary, Rivers State has continued to make a difference. Economic indicators show that the IGR of the state has increased since 2015. In less than a year, Governor Wike has signed more C of Os (Certificates of Occupancy) and consents than the previous government signed in eight years. Tax reforms have eliminated double taxation.

    “Security is being tackled head on and the Neighbourhood Watch scheme is receiving attention. Funding of security is a priority, despite the lack of cooperation from a section of the police.”

    “Governor Wike’s massive infrastructure projects are creating jobs and have multiple effects on the economy, but unfortunately, Peterside is too bitter, deaf and dumb to know that. On priority of projects, Rivers government owes Peterside no apology, as Governor Wike is rebuilding the state from the sorry state the APC left it in 2015.”

    He said Wike’s administration would not be distracted, asking APC leaders to mention what the ruling party had brought to the state, before they could boast of winning elections in 2019.

  • Peterside urges African leaders to partner on maritime resources

    The Director-General Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency ( NIAMASA), Dr Dakuku Peterside, has called on African leaders to partner with each other and articulate strategies for  effective utilisation of the continent’s maritime resources for sustainable development.

    Peterside spoke in Lagos yesterday during the celebration of the African Day of the Seas and Oceans ( ADSO), organised by the agency in collaboration with other stakeholders.

    The theme of the event is :  ‘Partnership Key to Sustainable Blue World’.

    The NIMASA helmsman challenged the  African leaders and the stakeholders in the maritime industry to rise against the growing threat to the Seas and Oceans ecosystem health as a result of poor waste management, particularly from land based sources.

    ADSO, Peterside said, is day set aside by the African Union Commission to create awareness among African states on the importance of the Seas and Oceans to the African economy and the need to rise against the growing threat to the Seas and Oceans ecosystem health as a result of poor waste management, particularly from land based sources.

    He called on African nations to collaborate with each other and come up with effective solutions and strategies that would  lead to optimum utilisation of the continent’s maritime resources for sustainable development and rapid economic growth.

    NIMASA, Peterside said, is already developing a road map for building sustainable interest and passion for the maritime sector among the Nigerian youths, and urged other maritime administrations in the continent to emulate same.

    “NIMASA as the country’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) has considered it necessary to continue championing the awareness on Africa integrated Maritime Strategy (AIMS 2050) and the Blue Economy through the hosting of African Day of the Seas and Oceans annually.

    ” Our passion for Africa‘s partneiship inspires our leadership role in the Association of African Maritime Administrations (AAMA) to continue to be innovative with ideas to pull African MARADS together for sustainable realisation of the objectives of AIMS 2050 towards a peaceful, prosperous and integrated Africa.

    “The Theme for this year’s celebration is,”Partnership key to Sustainable Blue World“. This theme could not have come at a better time when the global call for cooperative action in achieving the best result on various issues affecting mankind is prominent.

    The Board Chairman of NIMASA, Maj. Gen. Jonathan Garba (rtd) said the human planet comprises 71 per cent of oceans and critical to our survival.

    “It is the most important life-support system on earth, and almost all humans on earth depend on the sea’s natural resources. Half of the world’s population live within 200 km of the coastline. Oceans produce 50 per cent of the oxygen necessary for human survival and therefore, the sustainable use and management of the oceans, even its resources, is critical to us today and for future generations.”

  • ‘Peterside didn’t lose 2015 governorship election in Rivers to Wike’

    A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has disclosed that the Deputy Leader of APC in Rivers, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, did not lose the 2015 governorship election in the state to Nyesom Wike of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), but to sabotage by some APC stalwarts.

    He also described Wike’s move to be the runningmate to PDP’s presidential standard bearer as a ploy to escape governorship defeat in 2019.

    Eze, a former spokesperson of the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP), yesterday described the 2015 election of Wike as a sham, but the ex-Minister of State for Education insisted that he won the “free and fair” poll across the 23 local government areas of the state, in view of his popularity, acceptance and impressive performance in previous public service.

    The APC chieftain said: “If there was no internal sabotage, APC would not have lost the 2015 governorship election in Rivers State to the PDP. I can confirm that APC  lost to internal sabotage and wrangling within its fold, orchestrated by some stalwarts of the party, who conspired with external foes to undermine the chances of APC during the election.

  • APC is still evolving, says Peterside

    DePUTY Leader of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has said the ruling national party (APC) is still evolving and there will always be differences.

    He spoke on a live national television programme, according to a statement yesterday by his media team.

    Peterside, who is the director-general of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), maintained that the APC-led Federal Government had done well in three years.

    He noted that what people see as internal combustion within the APC was part of its evolving process, where people with different tendencies struggle to realise their ambitions, with issues being resolved internally.

    The NIMASA chief said: “APC as a party is still evolving. There will always be differences and there is no time when all the issues can be resolved, but we are doing and have done well.”

    Peterside, who was the 2015 governorship candidate in Rivers, however, said all issues were being addressed.   On farmers/herdsmen clash, he said the Federal Government was genuinely concerned about security of life and property, and it’s working out measures to arrest the ugly situation.

    The APC chieftain noted that since security breaches varied from one locality to another, the Federal Government decided to take a multi-dimensional approach to identify and resolve the cause of each challenge.

    He said: “The Federal Government is concerned about insecurity in Nigeria. The government has identified the problem and it is being tackled.

    “The Federal Government is not living in self-denial and that is very important. Insecurity in Nigeria did not start today and the government is looking at multidimensional approach to resolving it.”

    On whether or not the Service chiefs should be sacked by President Muhammadu Buhari, the NIMASA chief said without first identifying the causes of the security challenges, sacking them might not solve any problem.

    Peterside stressed that information at the disposal of the President would determine the kind of strategy to use and whether or not they should be removed, pointing out that taking rash decisions because of opposition was not the best of response.

  • Peterside: APC will win Rivers in 2019

    The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State in 2015, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has said his party will be victorious in next year’s governorship election.

    He spoke yesterday in a programme on national television station.

    Peterside, who is the director-general of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), noted that there is a disconnect between Governor Nyesom Wike and Rivers people.

    He said: “In 2019, Wike will be history. Rivers people cannot wait to make the governor history. Rivers people who desire development, peace, progress and general well-being of the state have come together to vote out Wike and I will be part of the well-meaning Rivers people.”

    The NIMASA chief stressed that the APC has alternative programmes and policies to make the economic and socio-political indices of Rivers to thrive.

    He accused the governor of not creating jobs and providing the environment for businesses to thrive, but preferred to politicise development to achieve his selfish interest.

    Peterside, the deputy leader of APC in Rivers, said: “Wike politicises development. His politics is driven by self-interest. He does not put Rivers interest first.”

    On whether he would contest the governorship election, the former member of the House of Representatives said he will make his decision known before end of August.

    He said: “I am more focused on positioning NIMASA in the world map as a leading maritime agency. My position will be made known in the early weeks of August, whether I will present myself to run or not. I am more than sure that on May 29, 2019, the current government in Rivers State will vacate office and I will be part of the team to send Wike packing.”

    On what he would do differently, the ex-Commissioner for Works said he would prioritise safety and security, ensure sound and progressive economic policies and provide basic amenities to improve the standard of living of the people.

    Peterside denied there is a faction in the states’s APC.

    He said: “Senator Magnus Abe (lawmaker representing Rivers Southeast Senatorial District/governorship aspirant on APC platform), myself and other leaders agree that Rt Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi (Transportation Minister) is the leader of the party and this is not in dispute. Hon. Ojukaye Flag-Amachree is the Chairman of the APC in Rivers State and it is also not in dispute.

    “Rather than saying Senator Abe is leading a faction of Rivers APC, he is actually leading his governorship campaign team, which is not strange in a party like the APC that has different tendencies.”

    The NIMASA chief insisted the governorship election in Ekiti State was free and fair, cleanly won by APC’s Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

  • Peterside flays ship owners over abuse of waivers

    Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Director-General, Dr Dakuku Peterside, has blamed foreign and indigenous ship owners for abusing the waivers granted them by the agency.

    Speaking with The Nation on the sideline of the interactive meeting  with stakeholders in Calabar, he said the agency has suspended the issuance of Cabotage waivers to ship owners because of the problem.

    He however said the suspension was temporal.

    Also, the agency’s Executive Director (ED), Marine and Operations, Mr Rotimi Fashakin, said the issuance of waivers was supposed to be a stop gap to boost local capacity in manning, flagging owning and building of vessels that operate within the country.

    According to him, Nigerian ship operators apply for manning waivers to employ foreigners.

    “If Nigerians cannot employ Nigerian seafarers, then who will do that?” he asked.

    The ED stated that if the problem continued unchecked, the development of local capacity would fail.

    “The provision of waivers in the Cabotage Act of 2003 is meant to be an exception, instead of the norm as is being witnessed currently, even indigenous operators seek for waivers on issues, such as manning.

    “If the indigenous operators are not ready to employ Nigerians, on what moral grounds can we compel the foreigners to do same?

    “The agency has decided to suspend the issuance of waivers on manning for now. A marine notice has been issued to this effect.

    “As we have endeavoured to demonstrate in this report, NIMASA’s commitment to the development of indigenous shipping remains as firm as ever.

    “In this view, we have our hands on the pulse of every significant area of the industry from ship registration to the disposal of spent or scrapped ships and development of capacity for the acquisition of new tonnage, marine environment and management, maritime labour regulation, among others,” Fashakin said.

  • Wike must respect people’s will in 2019, says Peterside

    The Deputy Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has asked Governor Nyesom Wike to allow the will of Rivers people to prevail in 2019.

    He described the victory of APC’s Dr. Kayode Fayemi in Ekiti State in last Saturday’s governorship election as the triumph of will, perseverance and determination over mediocrity.

    The party chieftain asked leaders of Peoples Democratic  Party (PDP) and Wike to learn from Ekiti and allow popular mandate take root in the 2019 general election.

    Peterside, who is the director-general of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), yesterday in an online statement by his media team, described Fayemi’s victory as a step in the right direction.

    He hailed the people of Ekiti, security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for a successful election, pointing out that it proved that Nigerians could freely elect their leaders in a peaceful atmosphere.

    The NIMASA chief said: “The people of Ekiti State disappointed the people who predicted violence and trouble. They rose in unity to freely elect Dr. Fayemi and the APC. This is a sure sign that Nigerians are desirous of credible processes in electing their leaders.

    “Commendation must also go to INEC and the security agencies, who both rose to the occasion to ensure that the will of the people prevailed.”

    Peterside, who was the 2015 governorship candidate of the APC in the state, called on Fayemi to be magnanimous in victory and ensure progressive development in Ekiti.

    He admonished Wike to refrain from heating up the polity, while maintaining that Rivers people would speak with one voice in 2019.

    The former member of the House of Representatives said: “I hope Wike has seen how closely fought the election was in Ekiti State. I hope he will respect himself and allow the will of Rivers people to prevail. The days of concocted and cooked results are over. Every vote will count in 2019.

    “I want to assure Rivers people that 2019 will witness free and fair elections in the state.”

    The NIMASA chief added that nobody will intimidate anybody during next year’s elections, and promised that votes will count.

  • Peterside seeks CBN intervention fund for maritime sector

    The Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Dakuku Peterside, has urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to grant intervention fund for the maritime sector to boost the nation’s economy.

    Granting of the fund by the CBN, Dr Peterside said, became necessary as part of the efforts of the Federal Government to diversify the economy.

    Speaking at the second stakeholders interactive session organised by NIMASA in Calabar on Monday, he lauded the CBN’s efforts for the disbursement of the intervention fund for agricultural Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and urged the apex monetary regulatory agency to replicate same in the maritime sector.

    The theme of the event is: ‘Harnessing Maritime Potential in an Untapped Environment; Opportunities, Threats and the Role of the Government.’

    Nigerian maritime domain, Peterside said, is vastly endowed with huge maritime resources which include crude Oil, abundant mangrove forests, marshes, natural gas, tar sands and sea grasses, which the country is yet to maximise for economic development and wealth creation based on the inability of indigenous maritime operators to get intervention fund from the CBN.

    “Concerning the intervention fund from the CBN, we are asking for a special interest rate fund to develop the nation’s maritime infrastructure to generate wealth and create employment opportunities for our people.

    “The fund was given by the CBN to the real sector, the agricultural sector and to other areas. Therefore, why can’t we have the special intervention fund in the maritime sector to boost local and international trade?

    “The reason why we are clamouring for the special intervention fund from the CBN is that the maritime sector has the capacity to generate wealth and create enormous employment opportunities with a multiplier effect on the economy.

    “There is need for the CBN to give the intervention fund to the maritime sector.  let them set up a special fund for the maritime sector to boost our economy and create jobs for our people. You did for the real  sector. You did for  the agric and other sectors. Let them do it for the maritime sector. it is doable,” Peterside said.

    The Director General said that the stakeholders forum was designed to re-engineer the operational efficiency of the Eastern ports and by extension the Nigerian maritime domain.

    “The theme of the event was chosen in order for us and the stakeholders to elaborately deliberate on ways we can contribute our quota within the context of law towards the development of the sector. This will be achieved by ensuring optimum harnessing of the maritime potential and have other multipliers effects on the economy.

    Ports, he said, are critical infrastructure assets that serve as catalysts of economic growth and development.

    “Therefore, the Eastern Ports must be active so as to create free access to the movement of both human and natural resources needed for harnessing the maritime resources in the region as well as make them competitive in the areas where they are needed.

    The country, he said, has Seven functional seaport as well as 275 identified terminals, jetties, and wharfs in eight coastal states which include: Tin Can Island Port, Port of Onne, Port of Warri, Koko Port, Port of Calabar, Port of Lagos (Apapa), Bonny Offshore Terminal, and Escravos Oil Terminal that needs to be developed to the international standard through the collaboration of the stakeholders and the support of the CBN through the intervention fund.

    Stakeholders at the forum also gave kudos to NIMASA for the giant strides taken so far and urged the CBN to give them a single digit interest rate loan facility as it is done to manufacturers and other members of the real sector.

    One of the stakeholders, Mr Felix Abraham, said the loan would increase credit to one of priority sectors of the nation’s economy.

    The Chairman, Board of NIMASA, Maj Gen. Jonathan Garba chaired the occasion and the lead paper was presented by the former DG of the agency, Mrs Mfon Usoro.

    Over 2000 stakeholders attended the event.

     

     

     

     

     

  • Peterside: How Nigeria can benefit from global seafarers’ shortage

    Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Director-General Dr. Dakuku Peterside told stakeholders in Warri, Delta State, that Nigerian seafarers ranked among the best in the world and could compete favourably with their foreign counterparts. He praised them for services to the international seaborne trade, the world market and the nation’s economy. He also assured them of the government’s support and decent wages. Maritime Correspondent OLUWAKEMI DAUDA was there.

    AS the country is in dire need of more professionals to grow its maritime sector, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Director-General,  Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has promised that the government would provide the enabling environment  for seafarers to operate like their counterparts across the world.

    Addressing stakeholders at the annual Seafarers’ Day, an event organised by NIMASA in Warri, Delta State, Peterside said with the huge amount of money committed to training and re-training in the last few years by the agency, Nigerian seafarers are among the best and can favourably compete with their foreign counterparts.

    According to him, NIMASA, in the past few years, has trained and retrained seafarers and cadets in specialised courses, locally and internationally, with the aim at enhancing their competence and employability.  He emphasised seafarers’ importance to the economy and promised to address the challenges confronting them to attract young school leavers to embrace the career.

    Seafaring is the develop-
    ment of proficiency in vari-
    ous areas of shipboard operations, including watch-keeping, navigation, marine engineering, meteorology, maritime law, report writing, ship-handling, rope/cable handling, and cargo management, among others.

    Decent wage, improved working and living conditions

    Peterside said the National Joint Industrial Council (NJIC), which comprises tripartite stakeholders, has agreed to fashion out a decent wage regime and improved working and living condition for seafarers in line with what is obtainable internationally.

    “It is, therefore, expected that once the collective bargaining agreement is signed, ship-owners will commence its full implementation,” he said.

    He assured them that their welfare was critical to the growth of the sector, and that NIMASA would do all within its powers to implement International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and International Labour Organisation conventions on the welfare of seafarers.

    Peterside also urged shipowners to give preference to Nigerian seafarers, especially in the Cabotage trade as against the practice of engaging foreigners.

    “As Nigerians and maritime operators, we should be proud of our seafarers and encourage them to develop their careers/competences like their foreign counterparts,” he said.

    Human capacity development:

    Peterside, who has a governorship ambition under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State in the next general elections, noted that if the country is to benefit from opportunities presented by the worldwide shortage of seafarers, then the first thing is to develop and build capacities of its maritime training institutions in line with global standards.

    Academic activities, he said, have begun at the Nigerian Maritime University, Okerenkoko, in Delta State.

    Training of Cadets:

    For Nigeria to bridge the gap occasioned by the dearth of manpower to handle Nigerian owned vessels, including foreign oceangoing vessels, shipping companies operating in the country need to invest in cadets’ training.

    NIAMASA, he said, has trained over 2000 cadets under the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP). “This is in addition to those who have already undergone their mandatory sea time training. Five hundred have been earmarked for sea time training in 2018 fiscal year, while another 500 will undergo the training next year,”he said, adding that 150 fresh cadets will benefit from the programme under the NSDP, which will commence in the next academic session.

    “NIMASA, in May this year facilitated the training of 370 Nigerian seafarers in relevant courses leading to certifications on Standards of Training Certifications (STCW), Oil Tanker Familiarisation, Security Awareness (ISPS) Code, Proficiency in Survival Craft and Rescue Boats (PSCRB) and Dynamic Positioning.

    “Another 560 Dockworkers benefitted from the training in Occupational Safety and Health (OSH), which was developed in line with the ILO’s code of practice OSH. All these are geared toward realising a robust maritime sector in line with international regulations,” he said.

    Delta State Government

    At the forum, Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa said the efficiency and effectiveness of the nation’s economy depends largely on the maritime sector as over 90 per cent of the world trade is transported through the sea.

    Okowa, who was represented by his deputy Kingsley Otuaro commended NIMASA  for  its efforts and determination to ensure that Nigeria is reckoned with in the international maritime domain.

    He applauded the initiative behind the establishment of Nigerian Maritime University (NMU), which is the first specialised in Africa and expressed the state’s readiness to partner NIMASA in actualising the institution’s vision.

    “As a state, we are prepared to support and partner NIMASA and the Federal Government to ensure that the underlying motive of establishing the Maritime University is achieved. We are also certain that the University undoubtedly will be a source of training for more seafarers and will add more commercial value to the Nigerian economy” the Governor said.

    Peterside highlighted the importance of the ILO’s Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) 2006 which he said Nigerian ratified in 2013, stating that it made adequate provisions for seafarers’ welfare which if fully implemented will also guarantee their wellbeing. ”As the competent authority for the implementation of all IMO and ILO conventions, NIMASA has diligently commenced the implementation of the convention in Nigeria from the time it entered into force in 2014 till date, through the conduct of port and flag inspections on board vessels operating in our waters,” he said.