MoU with NIMASA sets the stage for a new partnership with Nigeria
On 10 April, President Doumbia-Henry and Dr. Dakuku A. Peterside, Director-General and CEO of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), signed a four-year, renewable Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) setting out the areas of cooperation between WMU and NIMASA.
WMU says the MoU covers academic collaborative and reciprocal activities in the fields of education, training, research and capacity-building to be provided by WMU to NIMASA. Arrangements relating to fellowship funding for the WMU MSc programme are included as well as the MPhil programme offered in cooperation with WMU’s sister organization, the IMO International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI) in Malta. Further, the MoU provides for NIMASA officers to take advantage of WMU’s distance learning portfolio as well as Executive Professional Development Courses to reinforce the capacity of its staff. WMU has also agreed to provide technical assistance to NIMASA as may be required.
President Doumbia-Henry welcomed the signing of the MoU and stated, “We are delighted with the engagement with NIMASA in the framework of this MoU which will help support Nigeria’s economic growth and the competitiveness of its maritime industry. It will advance the maritime interests of Nigeria and addresses the changing needs of their maritime industry. This MoU also supports WMU’s commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially Goal 4which focuses on ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all; and Goal 14 which covers ocean issues, including maritime.”
Dr. Peterside stated that he is happy this has been accomplished after being on the drawing board for many years. “This MoU with WMU is an important element of the strategic reforms and repositioning of NIMASA to be the leading maritime administration in Africa. This is also part of ongoing reforms of the maritime sector in Nigeria which the President of Nigeria and Minister of Transportation are championing. The partnership with WMU is in line with pillar 4 of NIMASA’s medium term growth plan which addresses capacity building and particularly raising a new generation of forward looking Maritime policy makers and regulators,” he stated. Dr. Peterside expressed gratitude to the President and management of WMU for their cooperation and gave a firm commitment that NIMASA will actively implement the provisions of the MoU.
This four-year arrangement directly supports the WMU Strategic Plan 2016-2019 particularly Strategic Direction 1, that deals with education and fostering of growth of maritime leaders in both developing and developed countries as a core mission of WMU. The Malmö MSc offers education in seven specializations including: Maritime Education & Training, Maritime Energy Management, Maritime Law & Policy, Maritime Safety & Environmental Administration, Ocean Sustainability, Governance & Management, Port Management, and Shipping Management & Logistics.
