From left, Director, General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency NIMASA, Dr Bashir Jamoh and Secretary General of the International Maritime Organisation IMO, Kitack Lim.

The Secretary General of the International Maritime Organisation, His Excellency Kitack Lim, is expected to arrive Lagos next week barring any last minute change in the scheme of things ahead of the Nigeria International Maritime Summit NIM 2022, scheduled to hold between November 20 – 22.

The IMO scribe is scheduled to grace the summit where regional policies and operational perspectives on Decarbonisation and Green House Gas Emissions in shipping will be the focus. The Federal Ministry of Transport and its agencies in collaboration with the organised maritime private sector under the auspices of the NIM are co-hosts of the event.

Speaking on the summit, Minister of Transport, Engr. Mu’azu Sambo assured that the Federal Government is committed to ensuring that Nigeria becomes a major destination for global maritime players.

Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dr Bashir Jamoh, who also spoke on the expected arrival of Mr Lim, said the visit is the first by an IMO Secretary General to Nigeria in over fifteen years, which is a testament to the renewed confidence of the international maritime community in Nigeria.

“We are glad that after 15 years, an IMO Secretary General will be visiting Nigeria. Our desire is to continue in this stead until we attain a status of not just the hub of maritime activities in the region, but a major player in the global scene”, Jamoh said.

CEO of NIMS, Dr Emeka Akabogu, noted that the summit will provide a platform for practical issues in operations; and regulations impacting Decarbonisation in Shipping in the West and Central African region would be highlighted as a catalyst for igniting the Blue economy in the said region.

NLNG Ship Management Limited NSML is among the industry stakeholders partnering NIMASA in the Deep Blue Project operational engagement session scheduled as part of the activities of the IMO Secretary General’s visit to Nigeria.

Lim is also expected to have a firsthand experience of some operational activities of NIMASA, which is the focal agency of Nigeria liaising with the IMO under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Transport.