From left: Head, Maritime Safety and Seafarers Standards department, NIMASA, Mr. Taiwo Olaniyan; Managing Director, Melsmore, Mr. Danny Fuchs; Director General, NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, OFR; Chief Engineer of Melsmore, Mr. Givol Yaron; and head, Public, Private Partnership unit of NIMASA, Mr. Kabiru Diso, during the handing over of the leased site at the CSL of the NPA to the technical partners, Melsmore, which was held at the NIMASA headquarters, Lagos recently.

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA has handed over the leased site at the Continental Shipyard Limited CSL of the Nigerian Ports Authority NPA to the technical partners, Melsmore.

The technical partners are to liaise with the management of the NPA in finalising site management deal, which include risk assessment in preparation to move the modular floating dock to the Continental Shipyard for the commencement of full operations.

NIMASA and the technical partners also agreed to invite manufacturers of the floating dock, Damen Shipyard to join in recommissioning the dockyard, while site preparations are ongoing. This is to ensure that the floating dock is deployed within the shortest possible time.

Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, OFR, who addressed officials of Melsmore, emphasised the need for them to review the action plan in the light of realities on ground with detailed deliverables, and key performance indicators with clearly stated timelines.

“Nigerians eagerly await the deployment of the modular floating dock. This is a national asset, which has potential to boost maritime trade, create jobs, develop skills, by providing training avenues to various maritime training institutions in Nigeria, while also attracting foreign investment and preventing capital flight, thereby generating revenue.

“We hope to have students from the Maritime Academy of Nigeria MAN, Oron in Akwa Ibom State and the Nigeria Maritime University NMU, Okerenkoko, Delta State, among other maritime institutions to come for practical time”, the DG said. 

In his remarks, the Managing Director, Melsmore, Mr. Danny Fuchs thanked the management of the agency for the opportunity to work on such important project, and gave the assurance that the company is prepared to handle the movement of the floating dock from the naval dockyard to the Continental Shipyard Limited CSL.

Recall that the Nigerian Ports Authority recently leased designated areas at the Continental Shipyard for the operations of the modular floating dock. The areas include; the Dolphin Jetty, waterfront of the jetty adjourning the slipway, an administrative block, a construction, welding and mechanical workshop and a civil maintenance workshop, among others. The project will be run on a Public Private Partnership PPP arrangement.