The Nation Newspaper

Tag: ISPS

  • ISPs critical to attainment of NBP, says NCC

    ISPs critical to attainment of NBP, says NCC

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have significant roles to play in the achievement of the Federal Government’s  plans for National Broadband. Its Executive Commissioner, Stakeholders Management, Sunday Dare,  spoke at a stakeholders’ forum on ISPs in Lagos. He said the dwindling fortunes of the subsector remained unacceptable to the Commission.

    According to the NCC, 90 per cent of licencees in that subsector have gone into extinction while there are no fresh applicants to play in the subsector either.

    “We strongly believe that ISPs have critical roles to play in the attainment of national broadband growth objectives and must therefore not be left to die out.

    “As we all know, the larger telecoms industry (of which the ISPs are integral part) is beset with numerous challenges. Issues with power, accessibility to foreign exchange, multiple taxation/regulation, infrastructure, vandalisation as well as high cost and long delays in obtaining rights of way (RoW) and permits not only degrade the quality of services provided by our licencees, they also negatively affect the attainment of critical national objectives on the speedy roll-out of broadband networks to power socio-economic growth and the enhancement of our industry’s contribution to national GDP.

    “To overcome these challenges, the commission has been very actively engaging with stakeholders and reaching sustainable resolutions for the overall benefit of all Nigerians.For instance, we recently successfully engaged the CBN to secure priority access to foreign exchange for operators. We are also working closely with all relevant stakeholders to harmonise RoW approval frameworks as well as achieving greater uniformity in infrastructure authorisations and permit regimes across the 36 states of the federation and the FCT.

    The commission is nonetheless keenly aware that different sectors of our industry are differently impacted by the issues mentioned above. We are aware for instance, the viability of ISPs is particularly challenged by factors such as the availability of cheap/ubiquitous mobile internet access, bandwidth costs, vertical integration of mobile network operators as well as growing uptake of leased line services by corporates among others. Also noteworthy is the question of availability/effectiveness of local internet exchange points,” Dare said.

    To underscore the importance the Commission placed on internet access, he said the first item of the Commission’s eight point agenda is facilitation of broadband penetration through the provision and optimisation of access to and the use of affordable fixed and mobile broadband in Nigeria.

    He said some of the actions the Commission have taken in this direction include the licensing of five Infracos to deploy broadband infrastructure to the rest of the country following the successful licensing of Lagos and Northcentral zones, aggressive pursuit of broadband penetration first in the major cities across Nigeria and subsequently, in underserved and unserved areas and making internet access more affordable through cost-based intervention. “We are currently conducting a cost study on retail data tariffs following the determination of price bands for wholesale/leased line services in consultation with the industry,” Dare said.

  • NCC: 90% of Nigerian ISPs dead

    NCC: 90% of Nigerian ISPs dead

    About 90 per cent of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in Nigeria are dead, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has said.

    Its Director, Licensing and Authorisation,  Ms Funlola Akiode who spoke yesterday in Lagos during a Stakeholders’ Forum on ISPs at Lagos Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Ikeja, lamented that only 10 per cent of the 103 licensed ISPs in the country has approached the regulator for licence renewal.

    She said: “The world is a global village and a necessary tool for this process is access to information of which the internet is a key element. Despite the fact that over 70 per cent of Nigeria’s population is active on mobile subscribers, the digital divide is still very wide especially as it regards rural dwellers.

    “It may interest you to know that Nigeria however trends to the lowest when measured in accordance with population rate. For instance, the penetration rate of 48.4 million (2016) when compared to Nigeria’s population is just 0.3 or 34 per cent. While our population is increasing in a geometric progression, the internet usage and penetration rates are increasing in arithmetic progression.”

    She lamented that the Commission has witnessed a tremendous decline in the number of applications for ISP licences while the renewal rate of this licence category too has dropped drastically.

    “In the past five years, the Commission has licenced a total number of 103 ISPs nationwide but about 10 per cent has applied for renewal of the licence. That is of the reasons why we are here today, to find out if and why about 90 per cent of our ISPs are out of business and why some ISPs have not rolled out services in accordance with the conditions of their licences,” Ms. Akiode said.

    According to her, as a responsive regulator, the sustainability of ISPs in the telecoms business is the  primary interest of the Commisison, adding however that the regulator is not unmindful of the difficult operating environment, the stifling competition from a variety of players, dearth of funding and so on.

    In his welcome address, the Executive Vice Chairman, Prof Garba Dambatta said the larger telecom industry of which ISPs are integral part, is beset with numerous challenges.

    Represented by the Executive Commissioner, Stakeholders Management, Sunday Dare, he lamented that issues with power, accessibility of forex, multiple taxation/regulation, infrastructure, vandalism as well as high costs and long delays in obtaining right of way and permits not only degrade the quality of services provided by the licencees, they also negatively affect critical the attainment of critical national objectives on the speedy roll-out of broadband networks to power socio-economic growth and the enhancement of the country’s contribution to national gross domestic product (GDP).

    “The viability of ISPs is particularly challenged by factors such as the availability of cheap/ubiquitous mobile internet access, bandwidth costs, vertical integration of mobile network operators as well as the growing uptake of leased line services by operators among others. Also noteworthy is the question of availability/effectiveness of local internet exchange point.

    “We believe the ISPs have a critical role to play in the attainment of national broadband growth objectives and must therefore not be left to die out,” he said.

  • Complaints against ISPs, OEMs, others flood NITDA

    The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) said its office has been inundated with complaints from Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), other government establishments, the organised private sector (OPS) and individual consumers of information technology (IT) goods and services about the poor quality of services being rendered by Internet Service Providers (ISPs), Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and others.

    Other service providers that have been reported to the agency include electronic or e-commerce platforms, software vendors, IT enabled service providers such as financial technology service providers (FTSPs), payment terminal service providers (PTSPs), payment solutions service providers (PSSPs), Business Process Outsourcing Service Providers (BPOSPs) and other IT goods and service providers.

    Its Director General/CEO, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, lamented that an assessment carried out by the agency confirmed that such complaints were largely genuine, adding that while NITDA is working with critical stakeholders to ensure an excellent working environment for both indigenous and foreign IT goods and service providers, the agency is also making efforts to ensure that Nigerians are satisfied with IT goods and services consumed.

    He said the agency would do all it could to enforce the rights of consumers who are being underserved by the substandard services they receive from such providers.

    He said: “The poor quality of some IT goods and services is adversely affecting the economy. Some businesses have had to pack up as the value derived from IT was not commensurate with IT investments. Additionally, some MDAs have been repeating expenses on IT goods and services in every budget year because of the poor quality of earlier purchased software and hardware. This has constituted an unsustainable drain on the nation’s resources.

    “We are, therefore, calling on both indigenous and foreign IT goods and service providers to pay attention to quality and customer satisfaction. Terms of licence acquisition, Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and contracts with clients and customers must be strictly adhered to. The Agency is setting mechanism in place to monitor compliance and would facilitate the blacklisting perennial defaulters, prosecute them and ensure remedy for consumers.”

    NITDA is an agency under the Federal Ministry of Communications created to implement the Nigerian Information Technology Policy and co-ordinate general IT development and regulation in the country.

    Specifically, Section 6(a & c) of the Act mandates NITDA to create a framework for the planning, research, development, standardisation, application, coordination, monitoring, evaluation and regulation of Information Technology practices, activities and systems in Nigeria; and render advisory services in all information technology matters to the public and private sectors.

  • ISPS Code: NIMASA to clamp down on terminals, jetties

    The Nigerian Maritime Adminisrtation and Safety Agency (NIMASA) will clamp down on  terminals and jetties that are not obeying the International Ships and Port facility Code (ISPS), it was learnt.

    NIMASA is the Designated Authority (DA) charged with implementing the ISPS Code in the country.

    The role was given to the agency in May, last year.

    NIMASA sources said there are over 50 non-compliant terminals and oil jetties.

    The alleged terminals and jetties include Niger Dock jetty, Intercontinental Fishing Jetty, Allison Fisheries Jetty, Ocean Fisheries, Dantata Jetty, Standard Flour Jetty, all in Tin Can; Lister Flour Jetty, Osadjere Fishing Jetty, Eurafic               Oil Jetty, Seagold Fishing Jetty, Ibru Jetty, Port & Marine Service Jetty, Nido Gas Jetty, Atlas Cove Jetty, Nispan Jetty (Folawiyo Energy), Petroleum Wharf Apapa (PWA) jetty, New Oil Jetty (NOJ), Fishery Wharf (Waziri Jetty) and Bulk Oil Plant (BOP) jetty, all in Apapa.

    In Ibafon, are Julius Berger jetty, Single Bouy Mooring (SBM) jetty, Emsee jetty, and Contrans jetty. There are also Adsejere Jetty, Ijora Coal Wharf Jetty, Bakare Adewale Jetty and Tilla Fisheries Jetty. In Ajah, there is another Julius Berger jetty there.

    In Ojo creeks, there is Dolphin Fisheries Jetty and Dee Jones Jetty.

    In the Novo creek, there is Obat Jetty and Commodore Pool jetty while Paradise Jetty is along the Five Cowrie Creek. Moving outside Lagos coast, Nigeria has 36 jetties in Port Harcourt. They are Willbros Jetty in Choba, Tidex Jetty in Ogbogoro, Ajip Jetty in lwofe, Nissco Jetty, Grinkar Jetty, Adamac Jetty, Kent Resources Jetty, Haastrup/Eagle Bulk Cement Jetty, Nepturn Jetty and Saipem Jetty all in Rumuolumeni.

    There are jetties in Onne namely: Adamac Jetty, Wad Jetty, Starx Jetty, Wact Jetty, Dangote Jetty, and Atlas Cement Jetty. In Bonny, we have Mof Jetty, Tskj Jetty, Shell Slot jetty and Brt jetty.

    In Warri, Delta State, there are 25 jetties, namely: Daewoo Jetty, Chevron/Taxaco Jetty, DBN Jetty, Elf Jetty, Shell PDC Jetty, Globes Star Jetty, NWDM Jetty, Tidex Jetty, IWD Jetty, Shoreline jetty, Hercules OFFSHORE Hall Jetty, Hyundai Jetty, Seatruck Jetty, Futeb Jetty, Olowo Jetty, Ocan Jetty, Dufan Jetty, Four STAR Marine Jetty, B J Services Jetty, NBTC Jetty, DSC Jetty, Acro jetty, and NAOC Jetty.

    In Calabar, there are five jetties namely, MC Iver Jetty, Calcemo Jetty, Addax Jetty, NNPC Jetty and QIT Jetty in Eket.

  • ISPs take legal action against GCHQ

    ISPs from the United States, United Kingdom, Netherlands and South Korea have joined forces with campaigners Privacy International to take the agency to task over alleged attacks on network infrastructure.

    It is the first time that GCHQ has faced such action.

    The move follows allegations about the government snooping made by US whistleblower Edward Snowden.

    The ISPs claim that alleged network attacks, outlined in a series of articles in Der Spiegel and the Intercept, were illegal and “undermine the goodwill the organisations rely on”.

    The allegations that the legal actions are based on include: claims that employees of Belgian telecoms company Belgacom were targeted by GCHQ and infected with malware to gain access to network infrastructure

    GCHQ and the US National Security Agency, where Mr Snowden worked, had a range of network exploitation and intrusion capabilities, including a “man-on-the-side” technique that covertly injects data into existing data streams to create connections that will enable the targeted infection of users

    the intelligence agencies used an automated system, codenamed Turbine, that allowed them to scale up network implants

    German internet exchange points were targeted, allowing agencies to spy on all internet traffic coming through those nodes

    While the ISPs taking the action were not directly named in the leaked Snowden documents, Privacy International claims that “the type of surveillance being carried out allows them to challenge the practices… because they and their users are at threat of being targeted”.

    Privacy International has previously filed two other cases – the first against alleged mass surveillance programmes Tempora, Prism and Upstream, and the second against the deployment by GCHQ of computer intrusion capabilities and spyware.

    Deputy Director Privacy International, Eric King,   said: “These widespread attacks on providers and collectives undermine the trust we all place on the internet and greatly endangers the world’s most powerful tool for democracy and free expression.”

  • ATCON warns against backlash of NCC’s policy

    ATCON warns against backlash of NCC’s policy

    The Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) has warned the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) against implementing its open access model for broadband deployment.

    It said a similar policy by the regulator a few years ago affected internet service providers (ISPs).

    ATCON’s President, Lanre Ajayi, said the first step in a new policy should be its environment impact assessment (EIA).

    He urged the NCC to undertake an EIA of the broadband policy.

    He said there could be a backlash of a good policy.

    According to him, a policy by the NCC a few years ago which stopped ISPs from operating at a particular band depleted the number of players from 92 to less than 30, adding that the policy might also have a similar ripple effect in the industry.

    “Have we done the socio-economic impact assessment the policy? I think we should do the socio economic impact of the policy before we jump into its implementation,” Ajayi warned.

    Under the open access model, which the NCC intends to implement, a total of seven companies called InfraCos will be licensed to provide broadband services in the six geo-political zones of the country will one of the InfraCos will operate in Lagos.

    NCC Executive Vice Chairman (EVC), Dr Eugene Juwah, said the government would provide funds to the InfraCos based on their plan.

    But some players in the sector said it could lead to unfair practices.

    One of the stakeholders in the industry, who spoke on condition of anonymity, lamented that the NCC would spend public funds on the companies the regulator will be licensing to provide broadband services to the citizens.

    “When you deploy public funds to a private investor, such funds will be used to have undue advantage over the players in the industry,” he said.

    But the EVC said there was nothing esoteric about the government offering subsidy to investors, arguing that the earliest players in the mobile telephone services enjoyed tax holidays for about five years, adding that even after the expiration of the five years, some of them were not ready to pay.

    Juwah said since the project for which subsidy was being provided was for the public good, there was nothing wrong with providing such an incentive, arguing that fears of the players in the segment was baseless.

  • Fed Govt orders trucks off Apapa Ports roads

    Fed Govt orders trucks off Apapa Ports roads

    The Federal Government has ordered the immediate evacuation of haulage trucks out of the port access roads in Lagos. This is in line with the ultimatum given to the country by the Apapa United States Coast Guard over the need to comply with the International Ships and Ports Security (ISPS) Facility Code,

    The order was handed down to the truck owners by the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Transport.

    The Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) directed its members to ensure compliance with the directive.

    Speaking with reporters in Lagos Lagos yesterday, the chairman of the group, Chief Remi Ogungbemi, directed that truck owners to take advantage of the newly acquired land at the Trade Fair Complex along Badagry expressway to relocate their trucks.

    “There is a marching order that they want all the trucks evacuated from the roads, individual members having trucks that liter the roads both at Tincan and Apapa port should go to the Trade Fair Complex to park.

    “We don’t want a situation where they will bring black maria, or shooting on sight, we don’t want that to happen, we are human beings that can communicate and can be communicated to, we will on our own tell our members to start moving these trucks”

    General Secretary of AMATO, Mr. Chiaka Nwogu, warned that the marching order is not from the association but from the Federal Government.

    According to him, the directive is a welcome idea because this will further portray Nigeria to the US Coast Guard and the entire world as a compliant nation.

    Chiaka said the Minister of Transport, Idris Umar and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) were notified of a general inspection to take place by weekend and that the port access roads must be rid of hindrances.

    “Nigeria is about to go into another round of test. By Saturday, when they come to inspect, we want to pass the test. If we fail, it is going to affect everybody, if the ships don’t come into our ports, we will not have anything to carry” he said.

  • Clear and present dangers at Nigeria’s seaports

    Clear and present dangers at Nigeria’s seaports

    Recent report by the United States Coast Guard on Nigeria’s sloppiness towards compliance with the International Ship and Ports Facility Security (ISPS) Code has been considered in some quarters as a recipe for anarchy with the nation’s seaport at the receiving end, reports Ibrahim Apekhade Yusuf

    THERE are obvious threats to the country’s territorial waters judging by the absence of accurate data on the number of port facilities currently existing in the country.

    It would be recalled that the United States Coast Guard report noted that Nigeria as a contracting government to the convention does not know the total number of facilities where the code applies.

    According to the report, Nigeria has not been able to set security levels for its port facilities due to the fact that it does not know the number of these facilities.

    Some of the deficiencies noted by the U S Coast Guard team in some of the terminals visited include inadequate training programmes, inadequate access control measures, and the failure to ensure that effective drills and exercises are carried out at several terminals.

    It is unclear as to whether the contracting government is aware of the total number of port facilities to which ISPS applies and that requires approved Port Facility Security Assessment and Plans (PFSA) and (PFSP).

    Report card

    In the report which reads in part, the US said: “The embassy of the United States of America presents its compliment to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the honour to request that the Ministry forward this message to and the attached Aide Memoire to the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olugbenga Ashiru, Honourable Minister of Transport, Idris A. Umar, Senior Special Adviser to the President on Maritime Affairs, Mr. Leke Oyewole, Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi, Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, Mallam Habib Abdullahi.

    “The embassy has the honour to note that the government of the United States of America appreciates the willingness of the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to host the visit by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) team to Nigeria to assess the effectiveness of anti-terrorism measures at ports and continued efforts to comply with the International Ship and Ports Facility Security (ISPS) Code.

    “Overall, with some noteworthy exceptions noted in the attached Aide Memoir, the United States Coast Guard team determined that Nigerian Ports did not have in place effective anti-terrorism measures. Based on such observations during these visits to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the government of the United States of America would like to communicate several areas of concern.

    “The visiting team noted the lack of clarity regarding which agency in the Federal Republic of Nigeria has the overall responsibility for overseeing anti-terrorism measures at these ports, as well as the uneven quality and consistency of oversight. As a result, the United States Coast Guard identified areas for improvement regarding anti-terrorism measures in Nigerian ports.

    “The government of the United States of America respectfully request corrections of issues identified in the attached Aide Memoir within 90 days of receipt of this notification. Correction of such issues would allow the United Sates Coast Guard to refrain from implementing additional conditions of entry on all vessels sailing to United States ports that have called at non-exempted ports in the Federal Republic of Nigeria within five port calls of arrival in the United States of America.

    “The Embassy has the further honour to note that the United States Coast Guard must provide public notice of such changes in condition of entry. The Embassy adds that vessels arriving from Nigerian port facilities assessed as having effective anti-terrorism measures, as listed in the attached Aide Memoir, will remain exempt. The Embassy respectfully notes that these additional conditions of entry, when implemented, would slow down maritime trade between our two countries and increase costs for Nigerian and other regional exporters using Nigerian ports.”

    The US Coast Guard report further said “The Embassy has the honour to note that International Port Security Liaison Officer Commander, David Gates, remains prepared to assist the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in addressing these issues so that the United States Coast Guard can change this determination as soon as possible.”

    The Embassy respectfully requests that the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria identify a point of contact for future dialogue on this issue. The United States government, however, noted and commended some individual terminals and port facilities who are currently maintaining effective anti-terrorism measures.”

    Meanwhile, the management of the Nigerian Ports Authority has prepared both Port Facility Security Plans (PFSP) and Port Facility Security Assessment (PFSA) on every terminal and facilities across the country. In the report, the American government also expressed concern over the ability of NIMASA to midwife and implement the Code.

    Crux of the matter

    Giving fresh insights on the issue, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Hassan Bello, said that security one is the normal security measures that are put in place to guard against breaches.

    Security level two, according to Bello, is putting additional measures to wade off any likely breaches around such facilities while level three is a situation when you are aware of a security breach and a facility is expected to put measures in place that will either stop the breach or minimise the effect.

    Echoing similar sentiments, Mr. Ona Ekhomu, spoke on the implication of Nigeria’s lack of preparedness, saying that the country continues to play politics to the detriment of good governance.

    Ekhomu explained that there was too much reliance on the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency to implement the ISPS Code adding that the agency is not serious about the issue.

    He said that there has been an increase in the number of attacks on vessels in and around Nigeria’s territorial waters adding that because of how porous some of these facilities are terrorism can occur or be facilitated.

    The security expert noted that ineffective patrolling, enforcement and prosecution seem to be a major problem working against the nation’s effort to implement to ISPS Code.

    He said: “You need to be able to monitor your facilities and operators of these facilities so that people can play by the rule.

    “Nigeria has suddenly become oil theft capital of the world and this development has given the Americans something to worry about.”

    The United States of America Coast Guard has indicted the Nigerian government over the confusion at the nation’s ports, as to who has the authority to implement the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code in the country among the various government agencies.

    This is coming as the 90 days ultimatum on port security issued by the United States government to Nigeria expires in about two weeks. The United States Coast Guard is again set for another visit with a view to auditing the level of Nigeria’s compliance with the ISPS Code. The US Coast Guard team is expected in Nigeria on the 26th of August just as plans to receive them have been concluded.

    Since the threat to withdraw shipping services from Nigeria was issued by the American government, both the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, and the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, have been making frantic efforts to ensure that all is set for the US Coast Guard inspection. Should Nigeria fail to pass the audit exercise, it will spell doom for the nation’s economy as the American government and its allies will stop their vessels from sailing to Nigeria.

    It was after the absence of a designated authority at the nation’s maritime service was brought to the notice of the Nigerian government that NIMASA was asked to take up the responsibility of Designated Authority, DA.

    In the report, the American government through its Coast Guard expressed concern over the fact that even NIMASA as presently constituted has not developed any form of expertise to tackle the issue of terrorism in the maritime industry.

    The US government also expressed concern that there is no anti-terrorism measure in place in Nigerian ports and threatened to impose sanctions on Nigeria if measures are not put in place within 90 days.

    Right of reply

    Reacting to the report, NIMASA’s spokesman, Mr. Isichei Osamgbi, said that the agency is working hard to ensure that Nigeria as a country is compliant to the ISPS Code.

    It would be recalled that the Presidential Implementation Committee on Maritime Security and Safety (PICOMSS) was responsible for the ISPS Code until NIMASA became uncomfortable with its presence and moved against it to be scrapped.

    Even after PICOMSS was scrapped, NIMASA was still at a loss as to what to do until the government directed it to oversee the implementation of the Code in Nigeria.

    As at the time of filling this report, the management of the Nigerian Ports Authority was making arrangement to acquire trained dogs that will be distributed to every port across the country.

  • NIMASA seeks tighter ports security for US ships

    Nigeria must upgrade its ports security status within the next 34 days to enable ships from the United States enter its ports, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has said.

    NIMASA Director-General Mr. Ziakede Patrick Akpobolokemi said there was need for the country to meet global mandate on port security.

    He spoke at an International Ship and Port Security (ISPS) Code Implementation and Governance Conference in Lagos.

    NIMASA, according to him, convened the conference for stakeholders to articulate the agenda for ISPS Code implementation on behalf of the Federal Government

    Tracing the origin of the ISPS Code, Akpobolokemi said: “After the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York on September 11 2001, the vulnerability of lives, property and other assets to attacks by criminal-minded elements under whatever guise became a global reality. The unconventional manner in which the infamous attacks were successfully carried out and the frightening devastation they caused brought to the centre of global discourse, the need for a concerted effort to ensure the safety of lives and property everywhere.

    “As much as terrorism is unacceptable, what is even more unacceptable is a lack of proactive response by independent nations to the constantly evolving menace of terrorism. I am pleased to note that the Federal Government of Nigeria has consistently demonstrated its awareness of the imperatives of making our nation safe and secure. It is in pursuance of our government’s commitment to combating terrorism by applying global best practices, that we are gathered here today.

    “Different responses to the increasing wave of global terrorism have been adopted by nations across the world and solutions have been and are still being fashioned out for different sectors. The one, which most concerns us today as stakeholders in the maritime community, is the protocol put in place by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), in the form of the ISPS Code, to ensure that the global maritime arena is free from the threat of terrorism and other maritime crimes.”

    Noting that, until recently, the phenomenon called terrorism seemed alien to Nigeria, the NIMASA boss said that, at the inception of the ISPS Code, many were averse to this concept “as it was viewed as a western problem.”

    He said: “Today, we have three states in the Federal Republic under emergency rule as a result of terrorism. This new challenge requires an articulated and comprehensive response in the form of developed and workable protective measures if our maritime sector is to remain mitigated from this scourge. There is, therefore, no better time to have this issue in the front burner than now.”

    In his speech, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Maritime matters, Mr Leke Oyewole, said the ISPS Code is the standard international framework through, which contracting governments, government agencies, local authorities, port and ship industries can cooperate and be assessed in the global commitment to detect security threats in the maritime transportation sector.

    Beginning from July 1, 2005, he said the ISPS Code became mandatory for contracting governments and member states of the International Maritime Organisation.

    He, however, commended the federal Government for embracing the ISPS Code and the need for its implementation in the nation’s ports and its environs.