Stakeholders in the maritime sector of the economy have continued to pour encomiums on the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh over his emergence as the winner of the 2020 Zik Prize in Public Policy.
The stakeholders who expressed delight at the award hailed the NIMASA helmsman for the strides he has made since his appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Among those who hailed Jamoh’s award was a veteran maritime journalist and publisher, Shipping World, Elder Asu Beks; erstwhile NIMASA Director, Hajia Lami Tumaka; and a Master Mariner, Captain Tajudeen Alao.
Giving an insight on how he won the coveted award, the Chairman, Selection Committee, Zik Prize 2020, Professor Pat Utomi had on Thursday in Lagos said: “The capacity of Jamoh to have extensively managed the restructuring, reformation and repositioning of NIMASA earned him the prestigious award”.
A statement signed by NIMASA Assistant Director, Public Relations, Mr. Edwards Osagie and made available to Maritime Bits, quoted Utomi saying that the deep blue project and the blue economy initiatives spearheaded by Jamoh “continues to champion have brought massive gains to the Agency and the nation’s economic diversification goals.”
Continuing, he said: “The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) in its second quarter 2021 report had disclosed that piracy in the Gulf of Guinea which had in recent times become the global epicenter for sea piracy, fell to the lowest since Q2 2019 after Jamoh started enforcing the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure also known as the Deep Blue Project”.
Apart from Jamoh, two other illustrious Nigerian technocrats that also won the 2020 Zik Prize in Public Policy include Dr. Akinwunmi Ayodeji Adesina, the 8th elected President of the African Development Bank Group and the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mallam Mele Kolo Kyari.
Adesina was also a former Minister of Agriculture in Nigeria who through the innovative electronic wallet system that he introduced ended 40 years of corruption in the fertilizer sector. The High 5s and the Africa Investment Forum initiatives that he has introduced as AFDB President have been a massive success.
In the political leadership category, former Secretary to the Federal Government and former Senate President, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim; and Minister of State for Health, Senator Olorunimbe Mamora were announced winners.
The 2020 Zik Prize for professional leadership went to Mr. U.K. Eke, the Group Managing Director of FBN Holdings Plc and Mr. Uche Orji, the pioneer Managing Director and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA).
The 2020 Zik Prize for Humanitarian Leadership went to Her Excellency, Mrs. Ekaette Unoma Akpabio, a former first lady of Akwa Ibom State whose Family Life Enhancement Initiative (FLEI) that continues to provide succour to the vulnerable in Akwa Ibom State.
In the same vein, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-olu, Governor of Lagos State and Mr. Abdullahi Sule, Governor of Nasarawa State won the 2020 Zik Prize in Good Governance.
