The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) in collaboration with the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) and the Denmark Government, is currently running a five-day training for maritime and defence correspondents in Lagos.
The training which started on November 6 is expected to run through till November 10.
The training which looks at topics like: introduction to the Blue Economy; Introduction to Maritime Security; Legal, Policy and institutional frameworks on Maritime security in Nigeria; and Law and Ethics in maritime reporting; amongst others is expected to include visits by participants to the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and NIMASA headqauters in Lagos, and a sea trip.
Speaking during the opening ceremony of the programme, the Director General of NIMASA, Dr Bashir Jamoh, disclosed that the Gulf of Guinea, (GOG) is key to the development of the Marine and Blue economies of coastal countries in the region.
He assured that Nigeria as an interested party, will ensure that the security of its corridor of the GOG was maintained.
He also called on journalists to be conscious of the impact of negative reports on maritime trades within and around the GoG region and therefore urged them to change the narrative.
“The Federal Government must introduce fiscal and monetary policies that will help the sector to prosper.
“The Blue Economy will generate 350 million jobs and $2.5 trillion globally, the need for Nigeria to key into it and take its share of the benefits.
“It is the media that will enlighten Nigerians on the potentials of the Blue Economy, it is the media that will focus its attention on the international community.”
“It is the media that will change the narrative of the maritime security by ensuring positive aspects of maritime trade in the region and tell the world of the efforts Nigeria and indeed Africa is putting in to create a better and prosperous African continent,” the NIMASA DG stated.
Speaking in similar vein, the Director of the Kofi Anan International Peacekeeping Training Center, Prof. Kwesi Aning, described the role of the media as important in disseminating information on important issue like the Blue Economy, adding that “the importance of these issues is the quality of the reportage”
Aning also explained that the training sought to provide basic factual hands on information.
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