BY ALEX AKAO
The maiden edition of the Maritime Reporters’ Association of Nigeria (MARAN’s), forthcoming annual lecture is set to focus on Maritime Safety.
The event tagged MARAN Annual Maritime Lecture (MAMAL) earlier scheduled for November 21 will now take place Wednesday, November 29, 2023.
This is contained in a press statement released by the Association’s President, Godfrey Bivbiere.
The Lecture whose theme is “Maritime Security: Emerging Threats and Actionable Steps” aims at proffering long-term sustainable solutions to emerging threats to realizing sustainable maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG).
According to the Association, the event as well as the theme has become necessary in view of the rising wave of crime and criminality occurrences across the nations frontier waterfronts.
Bivbiere in his statement said views expected to be canvassed by experts who have agreed to attend the event would specially contribute to effectively address maritime crimes in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) region as well as offer and protect seafaring and fishing communities in the affected countries.
“MARAN, as the foremost umbrella body of journalists covering the Nigerian maritime sector, has identified and commends the collaborative initiatives and efforts of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA and other maritime agencies which led to a significant reduction in piracy incidents in Nigerian waters and the GoG throughout 2022.
“To a large extent, the establishment of the Gulf of Guinea Maritime Collaboration Forum for the Shared Awareness and Deconfliction (GOG-MCF/SHADE) has enabled stakeholders within and outside the region to connect and discuss frequently how best to tackle piracy in the area and this had yielded verifiable results.”
Bivbiere stated further that the Special Guest of Honour is Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, while the keynote Speaker is the Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh.
Other speakers will include former NIMASA DG, Barr. Temisan Omatseye; Alhaji Aminu Umar, President of the Nigerian Chamber of Shipping; Mr. Emmanuel Maiguwa, President, Maritime Security Providers Association of Nigeria (MASPAN) and Capt Waredi Eniosuo
