The 2025 budget of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has come under heavy scrutiny following allegations of massive fraud and financial mismanagement. Critics claim that the budget, already passed by the National Assembly, is riddled with excessive and questionable allocations, amounting to billions of Naira in padded expenses.
According to reports, some of the most outrageous allocations include:
- N2.16 billion for international training
- N500 million for the maintenance of NIMASA’s London office
- N1.2 billion for local flight tickets
- N9 billion for international flight tickets
- N4.6 billion for flights to attend international conferences
- N1.48 billion for hotel accommodations for staff and stakeholders
- N300 million for podcasts and TV/Radio programs
- N1.36 billion for International Labour Organisation (ILO) meetings
- N3.7 billion for consultancy fees on revenue generation and HR reforms
- N1.44 billion to purchase vehicles for executive management
- N936 million for a London dumping convention program
- N12 billion (N3 billion each) for CSR initiatives including hospital management, IDP empowerment, solar power, and education
- N2.2 billion for training and capacity building, appearing to duplicate earlier training allocations
The allegations have raised serious concerns over transparency and accountability in the agency’s financial operations. Stakeholders and anti-corruption advocates are calling for an urgent investigation into the budgetary allocations, questioning the rationale behind the excessive spending on travel, training, and consultancy services.
As public outcry grows, all eyes are on NIMASA’s leadership, led by Director General Dr. Dayo Mobereola, to provide justification for the controversial budgetary figures.
