LAGOS  – The Secretary General of the International Maritime Organ­isation (IMO), Mr. Kitack Lim, is scheduled to visit Nigeria from November 20th and 22nd, 2022.

Saturday INDEPENDENT gathered that during the visit, the Secretary-General will at­tend the Nigeria International Maritime Summit 2022, where regional policies and operation­al perspectives to decarbonisa­tion and Green House Gas Emissions in shipping will be the focus.

The Federal Ministry of Transportation and its agencies in collaboration with the organ­ised maritime private sector, under the auspices of Nigeria International Maritime Sum­mit, is hosting the event.

The Minister of Transpor­tation, Mu’azu Sambo has said that the Federal Government is committed to ensuring Nigeria becomes a major destination for global maritime players.

Also, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, Di­rector General of the Nigeri­an Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMA­SA), said the visit by Kitack Lim, which is the first by an IMO Secretary-General to Nigeria in over fifteen years, is a testament to the renewed confidence of the interna­tional maritime community in Nigeria.

“We are glad that after fifteen years, an IMO Secretary-Gener­al will be visiting Nigeria.

“Our desire is to continue in this stead until we attain a status of not just the hub of maritime activities in the region, but a ma­jor player in the global scene.” He said.

The CEO of NIMS, Dr. Emeka Akabogu, noted that the summit will provide a platform for practical issues in operations; and regulations impacting decarbonisation in shipping in the West and Central Africa region would be highlighted as a catalyst for igniting the Blue economy in the said region.

NLNG Ship Management Limited (NSML), is among the industry stakeholders part­nering, with NIMASA in the Deep Blue Project operational engagement session scheduled as part of the activities of the IMO Secretary General’s visit to Nigeria.

Kitack Lim is also expected to have a firsthand experience of some operational activities of NIMASA, which is the focal Agency of Nigeria liaising with the IMO under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Transportation.