By Chioma Iruke
A total of N21.444 billion has been remitted into the federation account in the first half of 2021 by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).
The recent remittance is almost 65 percent of the agency’s 2020 full year remittance of N31.8billion, indicating that the 2021 full-year figure would surpass 2020.
Figures of NIMASA remittance showed that the agency had recorded 28.2 percent increase in its 2020 full year remittance against the N24.8billion in 2019.
Speaking at the just concluded Ministerial Retreat of the Federal Ministry of Transport held in Lagos, Director General of the NIMASA, Dr Bashir Jamoh, said there has been a progression in the agency’s contribution to the federation account from 2016.
Jamoh in his presentation at the retreat, also said the 2020 remittance of N31.8billion has been the highest so far, while the lowest remittance of N11.3billion was recorded in 2017, which was a decline from the 2016 figure of N14.1billion.
Though the 2020 figure was a N3 billion shortfall from the target of N35billion for the year, the agency hinted that, there is every likelihood that the agency may surpass the N35billion annual target by end of the year with over N21billion already remitted in the first half.