By Dr. Jimoh Olorede
Less than four weeks ago, precisely on March 11, 2024, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the appointment of Dr. Dayo Mobereola as the new Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (MIMASA) on the recommendations of the Hon. Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola. Mobereola’s appointment which followed the expiration of tenure and exit of his predecessor in office, Mr. Bashir Jamoh, was for a renewable term of four years.
While the status quo on the mission of NIMASA, which basically is “to achieve and sustain safe, secure shipping, cleaner oceans and enhanced maritime capacity in line with the best global practices towards Nigeria’s economic development,” remains, the modi operandi of the agency under the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, as against the erstwhile Ministry of Transportation, slightly differs, and consequently requires application of innovation, reorientation, renovation and purpose-driven reorganization in line with the objectives and economic-cum-revenue generation mandate and the Renewed Hope Agenda of the present administration which necessitated the creation of the new Ministry.
The meritorious appointment of Dayo Mobereola, a United Kingdom-trained Doctor of Philosophy, seasoned administrator and ace transport economist, as the new helmsman of NIMASA, clearly depicts the seriousness and commitment of Mr. President to overhauling every facet and sphere of the nation’s sector for socio-economic rejuvenation and development. The newly appointed DG’s personal vision in relation to the agency’s corporate vision and mission was clearly understood from his inaugural speech on his assumption of office recently at the agency’s headquarters in Lagos, as reported by the press.
The headship of a high-profile agency as the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (MIMASA) is rhinoceros-head-like in terms of its administrative and managerial responsibilities, which requires a egghead with a combination of academic and native intelligence as its Director-General, like Dr. Mobereola who, for thirteen years, between January 2003 and September 2015, was the Managing Director, Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA). As a former Transportation Commissioner in Lagos, Deputy Managing Director and Project Development Director at AFM Consulting Plc, London, as well as former Senior Economist at British Petroleum Shipping Limited, also in London, the new DG’s personal vision “to lead a Leading Maritime Agency” based on the Agency’s vision: “To be the Leading Maritime Administration in Africa advancing Nigeria’s Global Maritime goals,” is expected to bring the mission of the organisation to fruition.
Since its creation in August 2006 from the merger of National Maritime Authority and Joint Maritime Labour Industrial Council, the Agency has been saddled with the obligation of regulating the maritime industry in Nigeria. With his administrative acumen and managerial experience, the new Director-General would hopefully competently pursue all the various policy initiatives, interventions, plans, and partnerships of the Agency to ensure proper regulation of the nation’s Maritime sector on the the platform of the tripod of Maritime Security as Existential Priority, Maritime Safety as Operational Necessity, and Shipping Development with Economic Urgency.
As positively envisaged, in line with the objectives for the establishment of NIMASA, the new DG would bring his expertise to bear in ensuring Maritime safety, seafarers’ standards maintenance and security, pollution prevention and control, good Maritime labour relations, proper shipping regulations, and promotion of efficient commercial shipping and cabotage activities. It’s expected that the DG would use his connection as a Fellow of professional bodies like the Chartered Institute of Transport both in England and Nigeria to facilitate transborder inter-agencies’ collaboration and lead the Agency to implement the domestication of International Maritime Organization (IMO) and International Labour Organization (ILO) Convections.
Also, with Dr. Dayo Mobereola’s rich profile of previous active services as an experience-wealthy private and public servant, even as a Board Chairman of Lagos Bus Services Ltd, from March 2020 until his appointment as NIMASA DG in March 2024, one is not in doubt regarding his ability to ensure strict adherence to the core values of the agency by both management team and staff. As visualised, his helmsmanship would ensure commitment of all, accountability of management, professionalism in performance, maintenance of the agency’s integrity as well as staff teamwork that would lead to excellence in his administration of the maritime agency based on proactive leadership and discipline.
Jimoh Olorede Ph.D, Head, Department of Strategic Communication and Media Studies at the Federal Polytechnic Offa, Kwara State, writes via oloredejimoh@gmail.com/08111841887.