NIMASA partners Customs on maritime security, single window

The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Dakuku Peterside, has stated that NIMASA and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) are partners in progress in bringing the desired growth and development to the Nigerian maritime industry and by extension the Nigerian economy.

The DG who made this statement when he led top Management of NIMASA on a courtesy visit to the Comptroller-General of the NCS Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd.) at the Customs Headquarters in Abuja, described both leadership of the two agencies as sticklers for transparency while doing things that will serve the best interest of the country.

According to him “the Nigerian Customs and NIMASA are both working to accomplish one purpose, which is to facilitate trade to our country, enhance the revenue of government and ensure that those who do business with us respect the laws of our land and that ultimately they don’t take advantage of our people.

“As we are all working towards a common purpose, this even becomes more glaring with the new leadership of our both agencies.

“In NIMASA, there is a new wave of change in the same direction with the Customs. We are focused on delivering on our mandate to promote the participation of indigenous people in shipping in our country, give every Nigerian an opportunity and as well as ensure that our waterways are safe for business to thrive.

“In the course of doing our work, we have realized that it is inevitable that we must work with the Customs, that is the major reason for the visit,” the DG said.

The proposed areas of partnership are; Nigerian Integrated Customs Information System (NICIS), the National Single Window Project and Maritime Security all geared towards enhancing productivity in the sector, transparency, plugging revenue leakages and ensuring maritime security among others.