At the Kaduna State University in Kaduna, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency on Saturday opened a twin lecture hall.
In addition, the agency’s skill acquisition facility, which offers learning opportunities in electrical, mechanical, sewing, technical, and welding for both youth and women, was opened in Zaria, Kaduna State.
Speaking during the inauguration of the two projects, the departing Minister of Transportation, Mu’Azu Sambo, said the accomplishments were proof of the Federal Government’s unwavering dedication to leaving behind long-lasting buildings that would benefit Nigerians’ socioeconomic conditions.
Sambo also applauded NIMASA’s tireless efforts, under the direction of Dr. Bashir Jamoh, to reduce poverty by creating initiatives that focus on enhancing human potential.
“I count it both an honour and a privilege to stand before the good people of Nigeria and commission projects that will have a profound impact on the history of our country,” the minister added.
“The projects that will be commissioned here today serve as a monument to the Federal Government’s unwavering dedication to erecting buildings that will provide long-term socioeconomic benefits.
“I dare argue that NIMASA has shown to Nigerians and the rest of the world that the Agency is a socially responsible organisation, contributing to the reduction of poverty by creating programmes aimed at enhancing human potential.
The departing governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, thanked NIMASA for finishing the project in a record amount of time and was in attendance at the commissioning in person via his deputy, Dr. Hadiza Balarabe.
The Emir of Zazzau, Ambassador Ahmed Bamali, said that the initiative will be very beneficial to the people of Zaria and the nation as a whole in his words as well, stressing the importance of skill development.
“Strategic investment in human capital is key to the development of any country, which is why I always preach for entrepreneurship and for us to move beyond rent-seeking jobs,” he stated.
The NIMASA DG’s sponsorship of 2,500 young people at the Maritime Training Institute was also praised by the monarch, who noted that by doing so, he had given them lifelong skills.
Earlier, the agency’s director general, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, said that the interventions were a part of the organization’s strategy for the country’s educational system’s infrastructure development.
According to agency policy, Jamoh said the projects being commissioned were the first of their sort. He also said that comparable projects had been built in each of the nation’s six geopolitical regions.
He claims that the initiatives will also deal with the nation’s security issues, which have a negative impact on both land and water.
He said, “We have identified two major areas where we feel that if we take them on head-on, we will be able to handle a lot of the security concerns that we are facing.
“These include employment creation and education. For this reason, we are establishing a skill development hub in Zaria to solve the difficulties in finding employment for more than 60% of Nigeria’s teeming youngsters.
“The goal is to determine how we might use a non-kinetic way to address the security issues plaguing our nation. The regions where we have both land and sea provide a unique security problem.
“Because the majority of crimes that we now see begin on land and conclude in water. Because of this, we must touch everything.
“We will continue to contribute our fair share towards the development of this nation’s maritime and internal security, including that of our own waterways and the security of the surrounding lands.”
