The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has partnered with the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organisation (ITC-ILO) to boost sustainable investment in human capacity development across the maritime sector.

In a statement by the Deputy Director / Head, Public Relations, NIMASA, Osagie Edward yesterday, both agencies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Turin, Italy, aimed at developing NIMASA’s institutional capacity through targeted technical assistance, training, and capacity-building for staff and relevant stakeholders in the Nigerian maritime industry.

The Director General, NIMASA, Dr Dayo Mobereola, said investment in human capacity development remains central to the Agency’s vision of creating a robust maritime industry capable of meeting the emerging global industry demands.
Represented by the Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Mr. Chudi Offodile, the NIMASA DG noted that the partnership with the ITC-ILO fits into the Agency’s deliberate objective of structured capacity building programmes for maritime professionals.

According to Mobereola, the partnership directly advances this objective and further reinforces the Agency’s commitment to structured and targeted capacity development.

He the partnership also leverages the ITC-ILO’s expertise and global reputation to strengthen the capacity of maritime labour inspectors, policymakers, and trainers in the interpretation and implementation of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), 2006, as amended.

Highlighting the strategic importance of the partnership to Nigeria’s maritime industry, Mobereola said NIMASA remains committed to ensuring that the knowledge, systems, and partnerships developed through the initiative translate into measurable improvements in maritime labour administration.

He added that the collaboration would support the development of a globally respected, professionally driven and safe maritime sector firmly anchored on the principles of decent work.

On his part, the Director of the ITC-ILO, Mr. Christopher Perrin, expressed appreciation for the partnership, assuring 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 Head of Training at ITC-ILO, Giuseppe Zefola as focal persons, while the Regional Adviser/Technical Expert at ILO, Dr. Amos Kuje provided valuable guidance.