Bashir Jamoh, director general of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), has urged the management of the University of Lagos to develop the Institute of Maritime Studies in the University to become an epicentre of research.
According to him, the school can implement a five-year action plan to enable the institute to turn out an outcome that would reposition the Blue Economy as the leading contributory sector to the nation’s economy.
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Speaking during a courtesy visit by the management team from the University of Lagos led by Folasade Ogunsola, vice chancellor of UNILAG, Jamoh said the Agency is committed to the development of the Institute located in UNILAG.
This, he said, is due to the vast maritime potential, that Nigeria is blessed with.
“In the next four to five years, both NIMASA and UNILAG should be able to boast of important research milestones achieved by the Institute of Maritime Studies leading to recommendations and action plans geared towards the development of Nigeria’s Blue Economy.
“Because maritime is global by nature, the Institute should also have an international focus with students from other African countries welcomed, to broaden the scope of learning and thereby positioning Nigeria as a hub for maritime education as well,” he said.
The NIMASA boss also called for the harmonisation of all 16 Memoranda of Understanding which the Agency has signed with universities in Nigeria, to serve as a guide for the IMS in UNILAG.
On her part, Ogunsola, vice chancellor of UNILAG assured the NIMASA management of the university’s commitment towards sustaining standards by intentionally changing the narrative of maritime education in Nigeria.
She appealed to the Agency to complete the UNILAG-IMS building project.
Ogunsola said the school will embrace partnerships with local and international parties to ensure UNILAG becomes a formidable force in the maritime space through developing and grooming the right capacities, driving relevant research, ensuring proper certification, securing industry engagement, and facilitating exchange opportunities for students and global relevance.
The UNILAG-NIMASA Institute of Maritime Studies building is one of six projects sited across each geopolitical zone of the country by the NIMASA to provide suitable manpower requirements for the contemporary maritime industry, through comprehensive theoretical and practical maritime training.
