Vincent Toritseju
20 March 2018, Sweetcrude, Port Harcourt — The Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside has said that the Nigerian maritime sector has the capacity to catalyze the economic growth of the country.
Speaking to Journalists at the City People Magazine Awards held in Lagos, Peterside said that the sector is a catalyst for accelerated economic growth adding that the agency will not rest on its hoarse until the sector is taken to the level of growing the economy.
Peterside also said that the limitless opportunities in the sector have been made bare, waiting for investors to take advantage of these money-spinning opportunities.
He explained that the Blue economy is another area the agency was looking to develop noting that the idea of the Blue economy is multi-sectoral.
He also said that the agency will begin to galvanize people to maximize the benefits inherent in the Blue Economy.
“Today the whole the fact that we are making a difference in the maritime space, we are not contributing to the economic development of the country, we are not creating employment for our people, we are giving people opportunities that for a lifetime they will remember.
“We have made a modest achievement, which is being celebrated in every part of the country.
“For the first time, we are putting 289 cadets on ocean-going vessels to do sea time training, for the first time in recent times we have made contributions that are quite substantial to the consolidated revenue fund.
We have released the maritime forecast, giving impetus to investors that there are limitless opportunities in the industry.
In every area, we are making a difference just because Nigerian people believe in us.
The maritime sector has the capacity to catalyze the economic growth of our country and we are going to rest on our horse until we get to the point where everybody acknowledges the fact that maritime industry is indeed a catalyst for accelerated economic growth.
