His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, would on Monday, 10th October, 2022 honour the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Doctor Bashir Jamoh, with the conferment of the Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR).
The President disclosed this in a conveyance letter to Jamoh from the Office of the Honourable Minister, Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Senator George Akume, with the investiture ceremony scheduled to hold at the International Conference Center (ICC), Abuja.
Recall that Jamoh had served the Nigerian maritime sector as an administrator for over 30 years when he was appointed by President Buhari as the NIMASA director general in March 2020.
Since that time, he has overseen the successful deployment of the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure otherwise known as the Deep Blue Project which has played a major role in achieving a reduction of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea to its barest minimum since 1994 and culminating in Nigeria being removed from the infamous piracy red list by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB).
A hallmark of his tenure at the helm of NIMASA has been his institutionalisation of collaboration among stakeholders, within and outside the country, to achieve major milestones in the sector.
One notable example of this has been his initiation of the Gulf of Guinea Maritime Collaboration Forum/ Shared Awareness and De-confliction (GOG-MCF/SHADE) which has demonstrated the positive outcomes derived from information sharing among regional and non-regional military forces in achieving a secure maritime space.
Reacting to the news on his social media handle, Jamoh expressed gratitude for being considered for the honour stating: “Words cannot express how humbled I feel to be so considered for the National Honour as an Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR).
“When I began my maritime journey 30 years ago, little did I know that I would be so favoured by Almighty Allah to rise to the position of NIMASA director general, let alone to be considered for one of the highest honours in the land.”
He especially thanked His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, and the Standing Committee on National Honours Award for deeming him worthy of the honour while also appreciating everyone who had supported him throughout his tenure as the director general of NIMASA, especially the maritime stakeholders.