By Ife Osemedua
The book ‘Strategic Turnaround’ by Dr. Dakuku Peterside has been hailed as a definitive case of successful high-level change management and essential insight into the maritime sector of an emerging maritime power.
A top British scholar, Professor Chris Bellamy, said: “Dr Dakuku Adol Peterside’s book,Strategic Turnaround, showcases the radical reform of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), and the entire maritime sector in Nigeria by its leaders and key stakeholders”.
The story of how strategic change was initiated, instigated,and successfully managed in the maritime sector in Nigeria has far-ranging relevance within the horn of Africa and beyond. This story is briefly and eloquently told in Strategic Turnaround.
Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and the seventh most populous in the world with 206 million people in late 2019. Its maritime sector is highly significant: Nigeria has Africa’s largest economy and the 24th in the world, with a GDP estimated by the IMF at about $500 billion. Sometimes called the ‘Giant of Africa’ because of its large population and economy, it is one of the MINT countries named in 2011 – Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Turkey – having great potential and offering potential great returns on investment in the next decade.
Nigeria’s maritime sector is of great importance, not only for indigenous transport but potentially globally. Oil is one of the critical cargoes. “Nigeria hopes to compete with the Philippines in provision of seafarers. However, it also faces challenges. It lies on the Gulf of Guinea, which in 2013 surpassed Somali-based piracy in the western Indian Ocean as the world hot-spot for piracy and armed robbery at sea” argues Professor Bellamy.
Professor Bellamy, who had the opportunity to preview the yet-to-be-released book, has praises for the story style writing of serious leadership, management, and maritime concepts.
He praised the book for its straightforward narrative that makes it easy for every scholar to understand how Dakuku’s leadership team applied leadership and management principles to change the maritime industry in Nigeria.
Professor Chris Bellamy is Professor Emeritus of Maritime Security at the University of Greenwich United Kingdom, a former Professor of Military Science and doctrine at Cranfield University, and Editor-in-Chief, International Journal of Maritime Crime and Security.