DG NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh OFR.

The Director General of NIMASA Dr Bashir Jamoh OFR, has hailed Supreme Court’s judgement that reaffirmed the authority of the Federal Government through the National Inland Waterways Authority NIWA and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA to control activities within the country’s inland waterways

He described the judgement, which has put paid to years of speculations as to the truly designated authority  over  the country’s inland waterways as a win-win judgement.

Reacting via his official X handle, @JamohBashir, he noted that this should bring to an end issues of ambiguity and multiple taxation; as states will no longer levy investors, being a responsibility of the government at the Federal level; thus improving the ease of doing business in the maritime sector. He added that it would ultimately attract more investment from both local and international investors.

While noting that the Supreme Court ruling will go a long way in the Federal Government’s effort to exploit potentials of the over 10,000 Kilometers of inland waters in the country, Jamoh advised all parties concerned; particularly the State Governments; to embrace the judgement and collaborate with NIWA and NIMASA. This he said will help to better harness Nigeria’s maritime potentials for the benefit of all Nigerians.

Recall that the Supreme Court had affirmed that the control of activities on the nation’s inland waterways, including levying and licensing operators in the sector, belongs exclusively to the Federal Government.

In a Judgement written by Justice John Okoro and read by Justice Emmanuel Agim, the apex court held that existing laws give exclusive control of activities in the nation’s inland waterways to the Federal Government through its agencies.

It therefore held that it was unlawful and illegal for states to seek to control the sector and impose levies on businesses operating in the nation’s inland waterways.

It held that existing laws give exclusive control of activities in the nation’s inland waterways to the Federal Government through its agencies – the National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA, and the Nigerian Maritime Standard and Safety Agency, NMSSA, – and no other tier of government.

Respondents to the appeal were the Lagos State Waterways, the state’s Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, the state’s Attorney-General, the Governor of Lagos State, the Incorporated Trustees of Association of Tourist Boat Operators and Water Transportation of Nigeria, ATBOWTN, and the Incorporated Trustees of Dredgers Association of Nigeria, DAN.

The appeal filed in 2018 was prosecuted for the appellants by a team of lawyers led by Lateef Fagbemi, now the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, and Minister of Justice.