President of the Nigerian Hydrographic Society (NHS) and Hydrographer of the Navy, Rear Admiral Ayò Olugbode has assured members of the society of his unwavering dedication to move NHS to greater heights while affirming the unflinching support of the Chief of the Naval staff towards improving Nigeria’s hydrographic capacity for improved maritime safety and security towards enhancing Nigeria’s national economic growth and prosperity.
The President of the NHS) gave the assurance when he conferred with members of the society in a seminal gathering aimed at advancing the hydrography profession in the country at Apapa Boat Club, Lagos.
According to a signed statement by the Director of Information, Commodore, Adedotun Ayo-Vaughan made available to Channel Network Afrique, CNA, the interactions were centered on ways and means to deepen multidimensional collaboration within hydrography professional clusters and cohorts towards enabling the full optimization of the blue economy potentials of the country.
He stated that the gathering provided a platform to rekindle the commitment and enthusiasm of NHS members and concerned stakeholders in the development of the functional and operational knowledge of hydrography in the country.
“This is pertinently so due to the enabling role hydrographer must play in enhancing Nigeria’s maritime aspirations, particularly with the recent establishment of the Federal Ministry of Marine Resources and Blue Economy” Ayo-Vaughan noted.
He added that key issues at the event revolved around the need to restructure and rebrand NHS for enhanced hydrographic service delivery in Nigeria as well as improve NHS’ visibility on social media platforms with a view for NHS to become more proactive in hydrographic advocacy in Nigeria and within the wider Gulf of Guinea sub-Region.
According to the statement, proposals were made for NHS’ 2024 Fiscal Year, making it imperative for members to resolve all outstanding issues before the end of December 2023 as plans were also concluded on the need to hold an NHS Annual General Meeting sometime in 2024.
The Navy Spokesman however disclosed that different responsibilities were given to members towards building collective approaches on how to move the Society forward, with clearly defined expected timelines and deliverables.
He noted that the meeting ended with participants agreeing that the event would become a significant turning point for NHS, as robust plans had been articulated to usher in a new era of dedication and commitment to quality hydrographic service delivery in Nigeria to forge a resilient, progressive and united NHS.
