By GODWIN ORITSE
THE Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has concluded plans  to establish an Institute for Maritime Studies in the University of Lagos with an initial take off grant of one billion naira.

NIMASA’s  Director General, Mr. Ziakede Patrick Akpobolokemi disclosed this when members of the University’s Committee for Sourcing of Financial Assistance from Public and Private Organisations led by its chairman, Alhaji Adamu Hussaini paid him a courtesy visit.

Mr. Akpobolokemi stated that, “The University of Lagos was selected as a beneficiary of one of these institutes for obvious reasons.

Besides the fact that it is   the commercial nerve centre of the country,it is also situated in a coastal state adding that the state has had a long and impressive history in the development of human capacity in Nigeria.

“We have therefore decided to partner the University of Lagos to further develop manpower especially in the maritime sector”.

He  noted that this partnership was part of the transformation agenda of the present  dministration to reposition the maritime sector and make it a hub in Africa.

The NIMASA boss further informed the committee that allocation has been made in the 2012 budget to cater for the establishment of the institute and the Agency would soon liaise with the university to work out modalities for the take off. Akpobolokemi  stressed that the Agency will continue to partner UNILAG in the area of human capacity building which is a key component of the Agency’s four point agenda.