NIMASA Bags BPSR Corporate Governance Award

BY GBOGBOWA GBOWA

R-L: The Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Bashir Jamoh OFR and The Director General of Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) Mr. Arabi Ibrahim Dasuki, during the presentation of report of the self-assessment tool (SAT) deployed at NIMASA by Bureau of Public Service Reforms at the headquarters of NIMASA in Lagos

The Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) has named the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, a “Silver Level” Organization classed as Level 2, with a performance level of 74%; which implies that the Agency’s performance meets expectations in essential areas of responsibility, resulting in an overall quality of work that is generally good, with most critical organizational goals met.

This was contained in the summary report on the deployment of BPSR Self-Assessment Tool, SAT, presented to NIMASA Management by the Director General of BPSR, Mr. Arabi Ibrahim Dasuki. The BPSR boss appreciated the DG NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh OFR for his exemplary leadership and strong desire for optimal performance and reform to ensure NIMASA’s systems and operations remain strong.

According to a statement by NIMASA Assistant Director Public Relations department, Osagie Edward, the BPSR boss said “We are indeed impressed by the openness, professionalism and decorum the staff exhibited throughout the duration of the exercise. It is an assurance that under your watch and guidance, there are rejuvenated change agents who will help you to accomplish and break new grounds as far as your mandate is concerned. I will like to state that the Award accompanying the Report would help to stimulate the insatiable desire to be the best to achieve safe, secure shipping, cleaner oceans and enhanced maritime capacity in line with best global practices towards Nigeria’s Economic Development”.

The key areas of strength for NIMASA as contained in the report of BPSR include Corporate Governance; which ensured the establishment of an anti-corruption policy with an entrenched whistle-blower mechanism for the Agency, strategic planning and operational leadership, robust and accounting policies that comply with Financial Regulations of the Federal Government. This is in addition to a fully functional procurement process, which has keyed into the e-Procurement policy of the Federal Government.

The BPSR also listed operational and service delivery processes of NIMASA, Human Resource Management, partnership and resource mobilization, as key performance management and results, as some areas the Agency has excelled in when compared with some other Agencies of government.

While appreciating the BPSR for diligently assessing the Agency, the NIMASA DG, Dr. Bashir Jamoh assured that Management would ensure the implementation of all recommendations contained in the report, adding that much progress had been made since 2022, when the SAT was deployed.

“We have made much progress in the past one year. Our automation process has advanced much more within the past 12 months. NIMASA has introduced a customer experience center, which has greatly improved our ease of doing business as an organization. We have also acquired new vessels for both staff welfare and operational monitoring and enforcement purposes. Just as we accepted the recommendations of IMO Member State Audit Scheme (IMSAS) and worked towards closing all identified gaps, NIMASA will strive to implement recommendations contained in the report submitted to us today”, he said.

The Bureau of Public Service Reforms is the lead Agency and ‘Engine Room’ for integrated reform initiative, implementation, coordination and harmonization established in 2004. The Bureau introduced the institutional Self-Assessment Tool (SAT) as a practical approach to support the Federal Government in its vision to transform the Nigerian Public Service into a virile, well performing, professional and customer oriented institution.

It is worthy of note that following the marching order by the President for the Bureau to deploy the SAT in all Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency was one of the few destinations that readily accepted to undergo the assessment.