DG NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh (second right), cutting the tape to officially open the NIMASA Knowledge Centre and e-library at the NMRDC in Lagos, recently. He is flanked by ED, Operations, Shehu Ahmed (second left); Director, Planning, Research, and Data Management Services, Anthony Ogadi (left), representing ED, Finance and Administration, Mr. Chudi Ofodile; and Head, Library, Aisha Askira.

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency NIMASA has said that its decision to establish a world-class electronic library is in line with its resolve to build capacity through research and also bridge the knowledge gap in the maritime industry.

This given the country’s expectations of higher roles from the industry as the Federal Government diversifies the economy from the current overdependence on the oil and gas sector.

Director-General of the agency, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, who also declared the agency’s unwavering commitment to capacity-building through its knowledge and research based initiatives, spoke during the official launch of NIMASA’s e-library located at the Nigerian Maritime Resource Development Centre NMRDC in Lagos.

According to him, as a knowledge-based industry with huge opportunities, there was need to encourage research to enable the Nigeria’s maritime industry reach its full potential.

“You would agree with me that maritime is knowledge-based and we cannot afford to be left behind. This is why we have upgraded this library beyond physical books to the electronic ones. The virtual nature of the library makes accessibility to reading materials seamless from any part of the world just with a touch of the button on your phone.

“We believe this would help Nigeria to diversify its economy and reduce tremendously the oil dependency, as this library is equipped to bridge the knowledge gap in our industry.

“By the official opening of the NIMASA Knowledge Centre e-library, we have once again shown beyond rhetorics that the agency is committed to bequeathing treasured assets to Nigeria, Africa, and the global maritime community.

 “As you know, libraries are not just facilities for warehousing books and periodical publications, they are also important cornerstones of a healthy community. More than just storage spaces for books, libraries are important community hubs that serve as centres of learning, professional development and healthcare, among other benefits”, the DG also said.

It is expected that the library would help to preserve the country’s maritime history and advance the industry, as it would house a lot of reference materials.

While commenting on the NMRDC, he said it was designed as a training institution for the maritime industry. He likened the Resource Centre to the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, in Kaduna State, which serves as a training facility for the security services.

“It is our hope that the purpose of this centre would be realised.  You can see it is designed to harbour students with a 44-apartment guest house where faculties and students can reside comfortably for a training period. It also has a world-class training centre and other facilities that can compete with the best in the world.”