By Francis Ogwo
Marine environment has been a vital element for the vibrancy of the maritime sector towards a long term goal of boosting the revenue generated from the sector.
This was the view of the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, while speaking as a guest at a book launch in Lagos recently.
The event was a book launch to mark the formal exit of the former Director, Marine Environment Management Department at the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Felicia Mogo, from Public Service.
Amaechi noted that a clean and safe marine environment is the bedrock that ensures the entire maritime industry contributes significantly to the growth of a nation.
Amaechi said: “Maritime is key to national development and we can’t talk about this without the marine environment. It is in this area that Dr. Mogo has made impressive records with over two decades spent trying to make reforms in environmental assessment, especially for the oil and gas sector.”
Noting that the usual fear of most public servants is the uncertainty of life after service, the Minister stressed that the basic thing is the contribution attained during one’s service years.
Amaechi stated that the Transport Ministry and the maritime sector were proud of Mogo’s contributions in Marine Environment Management, noting that the industry will better appreciate her efforts now that she has exited public service.
Earlier, the chairperson of the occasion, Dr. Anne Ene-Ita, stressed that it is imperative for the government to fully explore the potential of the blue economy, noting that giving credence to Dr. Mogo’s book will be a good way to show commitment to the sector.
The High Commissioner of Kenya to Nigeria, Dr Wilfred G. Machage, also graced the occasion where he posited that Dr. Mogo wasn’t only an asset to Nigeria but the African continent at large.
His words: “There’s nothing more gratifying than sharing knowledge with a generation of young leaders who will be taking up similar roles as Dr. Mogo in both public and private sectors. Even upon her exit from public service, Dr. Mogo joins the coveted list of our celebrated scholars in the field of marine science and we all know that intellectuals are paragon of virtues and the cream of intelligentsia in all societies.”
