The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) have initiated joint moves to close gaps identified by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) during its last mandatory audit of the country’s maritime industry.
The Director General of NiMet, Professor Mansur Bako Matazu, who disclosed this in Lagos when he paid a courtesy visit to the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, said that the partnership became a necessity for the good of the Nigerian maritime sector.
Recall that auditors from IMO had, in 2016, conducted a mandatory audit of Nigeria’s maritime industry to among other things, ascertain compliance level with IMO’s maritime security and efficiency protocols on the country’s waters.
Jamoh also said that both agencies have agreed to immediately set up a working committee to develop an action plan and implement a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the provision of the things recognised as missing from the maritime sector.
Jamoh stated, “Collaboration with NiMet is a necessity; it is not for convenience. IMO had during the audit of the Nigerian Maritime Administration some years ago identified some gaps, which we believe can be closed with effective collaboration among critical stakeholders.
“Cooperation between NIMASA and NiMet is vital for the documentation and filling of the gaps. We have established a platform for action and devised various strategies for the achievement of our set goals."
Similarly, Matazu in his remark stated, “We desire to provide services to aid the movement of vessels on Nigerian waters. With climate change and its increasing intensity, this is the time for collaboration. NiMet weather forecasts are over 95 percent in accuracy.”
Source - Vanguard Nigeria
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