By Godfrey Bivbere

lagos—A university don, Professor Dagogo Fubara, yesterday in Lagos stated the challenges facing oceans in Africa as indiscriminate dumping, unregulated fishing, lack of adequate knowledge of the seas including inadequate hydrographic information.

Fubara, who stated this at the “African Day of the Seas and Oceans” hosted by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, in Lagos, called on the apex maritime regulatory agency to pay attention to these challenges.

He also commended the agency for drawing attention to the need to conserve and preserve the oceans. The first professor of Geodesy in Africa particularly commended Dr. Dakuku Peterside for his ingenious leadership in the Agency which he said will galvanize the maritime industry toreach  greatness.

According to him, “I don’t know what you are doing in NIMASA but whatever you are doing is very commendable. Apart from the fact that you have assembled first grade scholars to talk today, this is the first time in my 78 years sojourn on earth that I have chaired an event and four hours after, the hall is still filled to capacity,” Fubara said.

Similarly, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Marine Transport, Senator Ahmed Rufai Sani, commended the management of NIMASA under the leadership Peterside which he said has initiated strategies aimed at making the agency more effective and efficient in the discharge of its mandate.

Represented by Senator Solomon Adeola, Senator Sani noted that oceans are a critical part of the biosphere that must be conserved for the future.

Hajia Lami Tumaka, head Corporate Communications, said Senator Sani also said that the Committee was prepared to support the administration of Peterside within the ambit of its legislative powers to further impact positively on the Nigerian maritime industry.