Admiralty law crucial to maritime sector growth – Peterside

Director-general of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dakuku Peterside, says because every aspect of shipping is governed by one law or the other, there can be no maritime sector without admiralty law.
Peterside, who said this when the executive members of the Nigerian Maritime Law Association (NMLA), led by Chidi Ilogu, its president, paid him a courtesy visit at the agency’s headquarters in Lagos, also said continuous cooperation among government bodies and relevant associations was critical to realising a robust maritime sector.
He assured the association of NIMASA’s readiness to partner them, adding that the existence of the maritime sector was dependent on active legal framework. He noted that admiralty law affects every player in the maritime industry.
“Without maritime law we will have no job to do because ours is to enforce the maritime law, ensure that we maintain standards and that everybody gets their own fair share in maritime transactions, whether as employees, sea men, shipper or ship owner,” the NIMASA boss said in a statement signed by Isichei Osamgbi, head, corporate communication of NIMASA.
According to Peterside, Nigeria is at a strategic point where oil and gas is no longer what it used to be, which has forced the Federal government to look critically into other sectors and the maritime sector cannot be ignored, because of the opportunities that abounds in it.
“There is an urgent need to reform our laws to bring them in tune with current realities globally and locally. We need to update our current laws in line with global best practices so that our maritime sector can be attractive and competitive in the comity of maritime nations for other people to do businesses with us,” he said.
The DG expressed optimism that at the forthcoming seminar for judges to be organized by the Agency, Judges and maritime lawyers would have the opportunity to brainstorm and proffer possible solutions to issues relating to the growth and development of the maritime sector.
Earlier in his address, Ilogu commended the DG for his passion in making Nigeria’s maritime sector rank high in the comity of maritime nations and assured of the continuous support of the body to ensure his administration realise its mandate of repositioning NIMASA and by extension the entire sector.
He also called on the agency to take advantage of the competence and expertise of professionals in the association for the good of the industry and assured of their availability anytime they are called upon.

 

AMAKA ANAGOR-EWUZIE