TOP MARITIME WOMEN IN NIGERIA
Abiodun Gunwa
M
rs. Juliana Abiodun Gunwa
retired from the Nigerian
Maritime Administration and
Safety Agency (NIMASA) as the
Director of Marine Environment
Management. Currently she is a
consultant to the International Maritime
Organisation, (IMO).
The appointment by the global
maritime organization is in keeping
with its offering consultancy
appointments to officials of maritime
administrations who have
distinguished themselves in the various
activities of the organization in different
parts of the world. Thus, Mrs. Gunwa
joined other distinguished
practitioners from other maritime
administrations across the globe
who have been so honoured.
It must be noted that this appointment
came while she was still a staff of
NIMASA, and her appointment as a
consultant to the IMO was basically on
advisory capacity. Her responsibilities
as an IMO consultant include giving
technical and professional advice to
the IMO on issues of marine
environment management,
f acilitating IMO organized
conferences and workshops and
serving on technical committees as
the need arises amongst others.
While serving NIMASA as Head of
Marine Environment Management,
she created more awareness for a safe
and friendly marine environment
which is necessary for the smooth
operation of shipping activities, while
also conserving and preserving
aquatic lif e.T h i s , i t m u s t b e
obser ved, is one of the core
mandates of NIMASA.
While serving NIMASA as
As a new IMO consultant
Head of Marine Environment
recently, she has chaired a
technical sub-committee of
Management, she created more
the IMO that produced a
awareness for a safe and friendly
manual on Marine
marine environment which is
Pollution Prevention which
document has been
necessary for the smooth operation
approved by the IMO's
of shipping activities, while also
MEPC implementation
conserving and preserving aquatic
across the globe.
life.This, it must be observed, is
Mrs. Gunwa has had over 15
one of the core mandates of
years active participation in the
NIMASA.
activities of the IMO both locally
and internationally with numerous
successful regional and national
workshops organized by the IMO in
Nigeria to her credit. The appointment
is in recognition of her contribution
in the activities of the IMO as well as
her effective participation at IMO
sessions in London over the years.
Mrs. Gunwa who joined the services of
NIMASA in 2002 earned a first degree
in Humanities from the prestigious
University of Ibadan. She also has an
M.sc in Marine Management from the
Dalhousie University Halifax, Canada
and another M.sc in General Maritime
Administration from the World
M a r i t i m e U n ive r s i t y, M a l m o,
Sweden obtained in 1989 and 1993
respectively.
She started her working career with
the Federal Ministry of Transport
(Maritime Services) department in
1982 and was later seconded to the
Government Inspector of Shipping in
2000 as Head of Marine Environment
division until she joined NIMASA in
2002.
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