The Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dayo Mobereola, says investment in human capacity development remains central to the agency’s vision of creating a robust maritime industry.

Mr Mobereola stated this at the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between NIMASA and the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organisation (ITC-ILO) in Turin, Italy, aimed at enabling the agency to build the capacity required to meet emerging global industry demands.

He made this known in a statement made available to the media by the agency’s Head of Public Relations, Edward Osagie, on Sunday in Lagos.

According to the statement, the MoU aims to develop NIMASA’s institutional capacity through targeted technical assistance, training, and capacity-building programmes for staff and other relevant stakeholders in the Nigerian maritime industry.

Mr Mobereola, who was represented by NIMASA’s executive director of finance and administration, Chudi Offodile, noted that the partnership with the ITC-ILO aligns with the agency’s deliberate objective of implementing structured capacity-building programmes for maritime professionals.

He said, “This partnership responds directly to that objective and further reinforces the agency’s commitment to structured and targeted capacity development.

“NIMASA is also leveraging the ITC-ILO’s expertise and global pedigree to strengthen the training of maritime labour inspectors, policymakers, and trainers in the interpretation and implementation of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, as amended.”

Highlighting the strategic importance of the partnership to Nigeria’s maritime industry development, Mr Mobereola said the agency remained committed to ensuring that the knowledge, systems, and partnerships developed through the engagement translate into measurable improvements.

The director of the ITC-ILO, Christopher Perrin, expressed appreciation for the partnership and assured that the centre would deploy its faculty and resources to support Nigeria’s quest for sustainable human capacity development.

“The MoU is the outcome of several interactions and strategic meetings between the two organisations, with the executive director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services, NIMASA, Mr Jibril Abba, and the head of training at ITC-ILO, Giuseppe Zefola, serving as focal persons.

“Also, the regional adviser/technical expert at the ILO, Dr Amos Kuje, provided valuable guidance throughout the process,” Mr Perrin said.

(NAN)