Speak of an achiever with a highly intimidating profile, the Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Yusuf Jamoh is an apt example of such. He is a prolific author.
Jamoh, a seasoned administrator and maritime expert was appointed as the Director General & Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) by the Federal Government of Nigeria on 10th of March, 2020 and he is also the current President of the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration of Nigeria (CIoTA).
Before his appointment as DG, Jamoh was the Executive Director Finance and Administration, replacing Dakuku Peterside whose tenure as NIMASA DG ended on March 10, 2020.
He climbed through the ladders, at the Agency he now supervises, attaining Management position since 2003. Dr Bashir Jamoh’s career growth was ensured through his effective performance as Principal Commercial Officer (Operations), Port Services Controller (Onne); Port Services Controller (Tin-Can Island Port); Assist. Chief Commercial Officer (HQ); Chief Admin Officer (Training), Assistant Director, Wet and Dry Cargo (Operations); Assistant Director (Research), Head (Protocol & Logistics) and Assistant Director (Training).
Attaining the position of Director General, Jamoh vowed to sustain the cordial relationship NIMASA has with Nigerian Navy, Marine Police and other security agencies, in Nigeria and adopt a ‘whatever-it-takes’ posture in the fight against every trespassers and perpetrators of illegalities in the maritime sector of the country. Apparently, with his team, they have not folded their arms and watched pirates. And also to rid the Agency of all forms of corruption.
As the supervising head of NIMASA, formerly called the National Maritime Authority, Jamoh is responsible for the enactment of regulations related to Nigerian shipping, maritime labour and coastal waters. Under his watch, the agency undertakes inspections and provides search and rescue services.
Created on August 1, 2006, when the National Maritime Authority was merged with the Joint Maritime Labour Industrial Council, NIMASA has greatly encouraged Nigerians to enter the maritime industry. The agency was enforcing the directive that all ship operators engaged in the cabotage trade, whether Nigerian or foreign-owned, must have Nigerian cadets on board so they could gain sea-time experience.
In May 2011 NIMASA was mediating between the Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria and the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, who were seeking improved wages and terms of service.[24] NIMASA was involved in the debate over a proposal to create a Maritime Security Agency (MASECA) as a successor to the Presidential Implementation Committee on Maritime Safety and Security (PICOMSS).
The objective was to provide greater protection for merchant vessels against rising levels of piracy. However, NIMASA and the United Nations were concerned that MASECA could be in conflict with the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, which does not allow merchant ships to be armed.[25] The MASECA act also seemed to be in conflict with the act establishing NIMASA.[26]
In June 2011 the agency promoted over 60% of its staff, including 135 junior staff who were promoted to the next grade levels, and 536 senior staff.[27] Also in June 2011, it was announced that NIMASA would be acting as the approving authority and guarantor for beneficiaries of a new Cabotage Vessels Finance Fund, this time administered by banks, replacing the former Ship Acquisition and Ship Building Fund.[16]
No surprise, NIMASA is making so much giant strides at the moment, a Ph.D. holder from the University of Port Harcourt, specializing in Logistics and Transport Management with over thirty-two (32) years of professional and technocratic experience in the transportation and maritime sectors of the Nigerian economy is at the helms of affairs.
In Addition to his PhD degree in Logistics and Transport Management, he also holds Master’s Degree in Management from Korea Maritime and Ocean University, Post Graduate Diploma in Management Sciences from Bayero University Kano and a Diploma in Accounting from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, respectively. He has attended several leadership and management courses at the Harvard University US, Oxford University UK, Cambridge University UK, International Training Centre of ILO Turin Italy, Institute of Public-Private Partnership Washington DC, International Law Institute, USA, and Institute for Leadership and Development for the Public Good, USA, Royal Institute of Public Administration UK and World Maritime University, Sweden, amongst others. He is also the author of the book, Harnessing Nigeria’s Maritime Assets – Past, Present and Future.
Bashir also holds membership and fellowship attainments in several prestigious national and international professional bodies amongst which are: Fellow, Institute for Service Excellence and Good Governance; Fellow, Chartered Institute of Administration of Nigeria; Fellow, Institute of Business Development; Fellow, Academy of Entrepreneurial Studies; Fellow, Institute of Public Diplomacy and Management; Fellow, Institute of Information Management; Member, Chartered Institute of Personnel Management; Member, Institute of Maritime Economist (Canada); Member, Institute of Logistics, London; Member, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs & Member, National Speakers Association (NSA) and Global Speakers Federation (USA).
Jamoh has succeeded in restructuring, reforming and repositioning NIMASA, which has in turn improved the Revenue Generation and steady remittance of the Agency to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) of the Federal Government.
He is a recipient of Distinguished Merit Award for exemplary leadership achievements in Maritime Education in Nigeria from the Institute of Leadership and Development for the Public Good, Kansas, USA; merit awards from the Institute of Transport Administration of Nigeria and International students of the Faculty of Law, Bayero University, Kano.
A consummate Administrator and Trainer, he has organised and facilitated leadership training and manpower development programmes in several countries including U.K., U.S.A., U.A.E., South Africa, Brazil, Malaysia and Sweden among others.
As Head of various Units, he provides leadership for a number of officers on learning and manpower development needs within and outside the agency. He is a highly esteemed and respected expert in maritime human capacity building, Public-Private Partnership Development in addition to Shipping Management and International Trade.
Dr. Bashir Jamoh possesses the qualities of a good leader in abundance: detribalized, disciplined and committed to developing other people’s potentials.
At NIMASA, Jamoh has successfully imbibed in staffers a leadership and team building spirit, through constant training and manpower development.
He has improved the shipping logistics and international trade of the maritime sector. This has improved the public-Private Partnership Development of the sector. A core competence that is matchless in the history of NIMASA.
Jamoh has a good knowledge of concepts and principles/approaches to International and Public Procurement System, an organizational Skill that has improved the organisational performance of the Agency he supervises
Under his watch, NIMASA has trained over 1,650 various personnel locally and internationally in diverse subjects and skills, establishing, equipping and managing NIMASA’s ultra-modern training centre with the capacity to accommodate 200 participants at a time.
The Agency has successfully planned, managed and appraised capacity development of the largest maritime organisation for about a decade. He also improved and engaged the Agency’s training to world-class standards.
A prudent Manager of Resources, Bashir Jamoh ensured the Budgetary management of over N117 billion with commensurate value for every Naira spent at NIMASA. He authored a book, ‘Harnessing Nigeria’s Maritime Assets’.
Olamide Adeniji is a member of the editorial board of TheScript Newspaper
