Tanzania to support Nigeria for election into IMO council seat

Nigeria’s quest to grab the elusive Category C seat of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) received a big boost recently when the government of Tanzanian pledged to support Nigeria to regain the prestigious seat it last won sixteen years ago.

The pledge was made by the Director General of the Tanzania Shipping Agency Corporation (TASAC), Mohammed Salumu, when he led a high-powered delegation of officials to NIMASA for a 5- day benchmark visit to understudy the operations of the agency.

Mr. Salumu, who was represented by Mrs. Leticia Mutaki, Director of Maritime Safety, Security and Environmental Protection of TASAC, declared that Nigeria is a force to be reckoned with in  African maritime administration and therefore the country will adequately represent the interests of African countries on the IMO category C seat.

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“We believe Nigeria’s position on the IMO Council is vital for the region and the continent at large. Tanzania will continue to support this ambition,” she affirmed

The Tanzania maritime administration has embarked on the visit to NIMASA to learn the rope in maritime administration.

According to Mrs. Mutaki, the maritime administration of the East African country wanted to share from the experience of NIMASA on maritime safety, security, marine pollution control and how NIMASA fulfill its obligations to the IMO.

She said that the visit would also afford the two maritime administrations to formalise a long-term partnership focused on addressing common maritime challenges, enhancing regulatory capacity, and boosting youth employment across the continent.

The strategic collaboration is expected to cover key areas including maritime safety, flag and port state control, seafarer certification, digital transformation, and environmental protection frameworks.

Receiving the delegation, Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, stated that the visit goes beyond ceremonial diplomacy, describing it as a foundation for structured, continent-wide maritime engagement.

He noted that the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, had endorsed the initiative, citing similarities in policy direction and a shared commitment to unlocking Africa’s blue economy potential.

Mobereola outlined areas of collaboration including oversight mechanisms, flag and port state control, ship registration, oil pollution compensation systems, seafarer training and certification, financial sustainability in maritime administration, and digital transformation.

He cited the Deep Blue project as one of NIMASA’s key successes in tackling maritime insecurity but stressed that such efforts must be complemented by regional cooperation.

Mobereola stressed the importance of the partnership in advancing Africa’s unified voice on the global maritime stage, especially at international bodies such as the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO).