Dakuku Peterside becomes new Chairman of AAMA

Apr 22, 2017: The Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dakuku Peterside has been elected as the new Chairman of the Association of African Maritime Administrators (AAMA).

This is one of the decisions reached at the just concluded third conference of the association with the theme 'Sustainable Use of Africa's Oceans and Seas attended by 34 African countries held from April 19 to 21, 2017 in Abuja, Nigeria's capital city.

Bashir Jamoh, chairman of the Local Organising Committee, said, "The NIMASA - DG would pilot affairs of AAMA for a period of one year tenure, as Egypt would host the next conference while South Africa retains the secretariat."

AAMA, a body of 34 African countries including Nigeria, unanimously elected Peterside at the conference jointly organised by NIMASA and the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) which drew attendance from maritime countries within the African continent and across the globe.

Peterside takes over from Sobantu Tilayi, the acting chief executive officer of South African Maritime and Safety Agency (SAMSA), who has been the acting chair of the association since 2013.

Within the last one year, Peterside has been able to improve on inter-agency and inter-government cooperation in the fight against piracy resulting in a reduction in incidences of piracy and sea robberies.