The director-general of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh has clinched the 2020 Zik Prize in Public Policy for his strategic contributions to the restructuring of the agency.
Speaking during the award presentation in Lagos, the chairman of the awards’ selection committee, Prof. Pat Utomi, said: “The director-general’s extensive management of the restructuring, reformation and repositioning of NIMASA earned him the prestigious award.”
“(The Deep Blue Project and the Blue Economy initiatives) Jamoh continues to champion have brought massive gains to the agency and the nation’s economic diversification goals.
“The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) in its second quarter 2021 report disclosed that piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, which had, in recent times, become the global epicentre for sea piracy, fell to its lowest since Q2 2019 after Jamoh started enforcing the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure, also known as the Deep Blue Project,” he said.
Aside the NIMASA boss, two other illustrious Nigerians also won the 2020 Zik Prize in public policy; the 8th elected president of the African Development Bank Group, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina.
Adesina was also a former Minister of Agriculture of Nigeria, who ended 40 years of dependence on middlemen in the fertiliser supply chain with the introduction of the electronic wallet system. Also, the ‘High 5s’ and the Africa Investment Forum initiatives he introduced as president of the AFDB have been a massive success.
The group managing director of NNPC, Mallam Mele Kolo Kyari, also joined Jamoh and Adesina to receive the 2020 Zik Prize in Public Policy.
In the political leadership category, former Secretary to the Federal Government and former Senate President, Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim; and Minister of State for Health, Sen. Olorunimbe Mamora, were announced winners.
The executive governors of Lagos and Nasarawa states, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-olu, and Engr. Abdullahi Sule, respectively, won the 2020 Zik Prize for Good Governance.
The 2020 Zik Prize for Professional Leadership went to the Group Managing Director of FBN Holdings Plc., Mr. U.K. Eke MFR; and the pioneer MD/CEO of the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), Mr. Uche Orji.
The 2020 Zik Prize for Humanitarian Leadership went to a former 1st lady of Akwa Ibom State, Mrs. Ekaette Akpabio, whose Family Life Enhancement Initiative (FLEI) continues to provide succour for the vulnerable in Akwa Ibom State.
