NIMASA, Customs reach understanding on rapid deployment of dormant Deep Blue project assets

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) have agreed on modalities for the seamless and timely delivery of the Deep Blue Project assets currently at the ports.

The agreement was reached in a meeting between the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh and NCS Comptroller General (CG), Col. Hameed Ali (rtd.)at the office of the CG in Abuja in Abuja on Thursday.

Assets of the Deep Blue Project have been lying idle at the ports despite the fanfare that accompanied the launch of the project by President Muhammadu Buhari some months ago.

in his remarks, Ali said, “because of the peculiarities of the urgent need of these assets, there is a need to find a common ground that would assist in the full deployment of these assets.”

While thanking Ali for his efforts to clear the assets, Dr Jamoh urged the NCS to share information and capacity with the Agency to ensure successful implementation of the Deep Blue Project.

The NIMASA DG also raised the issue of the Modular Floating Dock, which he described as a public asset to be managed by the ICRC.

He said, “The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) is fully involved in the process to select a management partner for the Modular Floating Dockyard. We urge the Nigerian Customs to see and treat the asset as a national asset that should enjoy some concession in terms of duties.”

When it becomes operational, hundreds of direct jobs will be created and thousands of indirect employment will also be created.