The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigerian Maritime administration and Safety Agency

  • Why NIMASA made N6bn less in 2018, by Peterside

    Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, on Tuesday blamed high rate of crime for the revenue shortfall the agency recorded in 2018 fiscal year.

    The NIMASA boss spoke in Abuja during 2019 budget defence session of his agency before the Senate Committee on Marine Transport.

    Peterside, who made the submission in response to a question on why NIMASA’s contributions to the Consolidated Revenue Fund in 2018 reduced by N6billion, noted that maritime crimes was largely responsible for the reduction.

    He explained that since monies remitted into the consolidated account on yearly basis are directly percentages of revenues saved, shortfalls in remittances were as a result of low revenues caused by maritime crime or piracy on high sea.

    According to him: “Our problem here is more of maritime crime and not piracy, which is committed on high seas but within the sector, Nigeria is largely seen as headquarters of piracy in the world.”

    The agency’s remittance into the consolidated revenue fund in 2017 was N22billion while that of 2018 was N16billion, giving a shortfall of N6billion.

    As a way out, the NIMASA boss appealed to the committee to facilitate the process of the Senate giving concurrence to the Maritime Security Bill already passed by the House of Representatives.

    He said: “We need adequate security on our water ways, the very reason why the Anti- Piracy law already passed by the House of Representatives is urgently needed.”

  • Hope rises on full Cabotage implementation

    Hope for proper implementation of the Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage) Act 2003 rose last week with stakeholders restating their com-mitment to the law.

    At a meeting last week, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and key industry players, agreed to end Cabotage waivers for non-indigenous ship owners over the next five years.

    Part III, Section 9-11 of the Act provides for waivers for ownership and manning of Cabotage vessels by Nigerians and build vessels, where capacity is lacking.

    However, to encourage more indigenous participation, NIMASA  said it will stop the practice and implement the New Cabotage Compliance Strategy (NCCS) under which certain categories of waivers have been suspended. Basically, the Cabotage Act 2003 is aimed at promoting indigenous participation of locals in shipping.

    At the meeting held in Lagos, the need for collaboration to facilitate optimal implementation of the Cabotage Act was highlighted. NIMASA’s Director-General, Dakuku Peterside, said the agency was determined to ensure that Cabotage waivers were stopped.

    Represented by the Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services, Mr. Gambo Ahmed, the DG said the agency’s mandate is to promote and regulate shipping, and not to stifle any business.

    He assured of the commitment of NIMASA to promoting, protecting and providing the enabling environment to ensure the growth of indigenous ship owners so that they could compete with their international counterparts.

    According to him, part of the strategy to end the issuance of waivers was to develop infrastructural capacity and human capital for training seafarers to attain global standards. The DG urged stake-holders to cooperate with the agency to realise the implementation of maritime law, saying it held huge potential to create jobs, add to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and bring about a boom in the economy.

    Similarly, a former DG of the agency, Mr. Temisan Omatseye, noted that NIMASA was the only agency recognised by the government to regulate shipping. He urged the agency to use the powers bestowed on it by law to ensure compliance with the Cabotage Act and apply punitive measures against erring shipping firms.

    “If we don’t begin to enforce the Cabotage law, the use of the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF) will be defeated,” Omatseye added.

    Supporting the initiative, the Managing Director, TMC Shipping Pvt., India, Mr. Neeraj Kumar, com-mended the agency for implemen-tating the Act, stating that the ports are critical to economic growth.

    Kumar pledged India’s willingness to collaborate with Nigeria, especially in shipbuilding.

    Other participants at the event applauded the efforts of the management of NIMASA to actualising a robust maritime sector through various stakeholder-oriented programmes and promised their support and cooperation.

    Peterside also restated NIMASA’s commitment to partnerships with international institutions for sea time training of Nigerians under the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP).

    Speaking during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NIMASA and the Maritime Academy of India in Lagos, he said partnership is the way to go.

    The MoU covers on-board sea time training of some graduates of the NSDP programme. Sixty cadets, to be trained in three batches of 20 each, will benefit from this partnership.

    “This MoU will help reduce the amount of cadets awaiting sea-time by clearing up the first 60 of the backlog in three batches of 20 each,” Dakuku stated.

    He expressed NIMASA’s determination to explore and use appropriate avenues to ensure that seafarers got the right exposure and training to excel in the global maritime space, saying in the future Nigeria would be a supplier of qualified seafarers to the world.

    Dakuku said the agency was negotiating with other academies with access to ocean going training vessels in countries like Turkey and United Kingdom to secure sea time for Nigerians.

    NIMASA’s aim, he further said, is to replicate in Nigeria the progress recorded under similar partnerships in countries, like Philippines, in the area of providing seafarers to the international market.

    Kumar praised NIMASA’s effort to develop the seafarers and commended the NSDP initiative. TMC is India’s leading maritime education, training and recruitment firm.

    NIMASA has trained about 2000 Nigerians under the NSDP scheme, with many cadets at various stages of completion of the programme. The agency is tackling the issue of sea-time training for the cadets through full sponsorship, in partnership with some international institutions that have access to ocean-going training vessels.

    Some cadets have done their on-board sea-time training under the first phase of the NIMASA fully-sponsored sea time training, facilitated alongside the Arab Academy of Science, Technology and Marine Transportation in Alexandria, Egypt. On-board training for another set of cadets was facilitated by the South Tyneside College, United Kingdom (UK).

    The agency has also trained some Nigerians under a partnership with universities in The Philippines.

  • ‘NIMASA, NLNG rescued distressed vessel’

    The dust over the allegation of neglect and unresponsiveness levelled against the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) by the Nigerian Trawler Owners Association (NITOA) and the Nigeria Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association in the wake of a fire that gutted a trawler, MV ORC IV off Bonny Channel, last month, is yet to settle.

    Describing the allegations as “false”, NIMASA’s Head of Corporate Communications, Isichei Osamgbi, said  the agency, in collaboration with the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) saved the said vessel through its search and rescue operations.

    He said the fishing vessel in question did not sink and is currently at the ORC Jetty at Kirikiri Lighter Terminal, Lagos, where it was safely towed after rescue.

    “For the records, NIMASA Search and Rescue Control Room received a distress call at about 20:00hrs on 6th Feb 2019 that a Vessel MV ORC 4 (ORC IV) was on fire at Bonny Anchorage and that the crews were abandoning the vessel.

    “The agency’s Search and Rescue Station swung into action and relayed the emergency call to shipping within the area in line with its statutory mandate as enshrined in SS.22(1) and SS.22(4) of the NIMASA Act 2007 and S.2(1) of the Merchant Shipping Act 2007 on Maritime Safety,” Osamgbi said in a statement made available to The Nation.

    He explained that the agency sought collaboration with the NLNG, whose firefighting tug was closest to the scene to assist in bringing the situation under control alongside other neighbouring vessels who collaborated in the rescue exercise. The NLNG, he further said, dispatched its firefighting tug boat named CTOW ANN SOPHIE to the scene to extinguish the fire and safely evacuated the crew and the vessel safely towed to her owner’s jetty.

    The Head, Maritime Safety and Seafarers Standards Department of NIMASA, Sunday Umoren,  praised the support of Atlantic Shrimpers’ vessels, his team and NLNG for the successful operation in saving the fishing vessel.

    He further explained that there is a difference between emergency and salvage operations. Saving of lives, he said, is the mandatory action during an emergency and is treated with top priority, but saving an asset is salvage, which comes at a cost.

    According to Umoren, in such instances, usually, to save time, the salvor and the Master of the Vessel (to be salvaged) will agree for the operation to be under Lloyd’s Open Form (LOF), an international agreement which is a standard form contract for a proposed marine salvage operation which is aimed at eliminating pre-salvage negotiations deferring such to be decided by Arbitrators on completion of the salvage operation.

    Osamgbi further said the Group Managing Director of ORCiv Fishing and Food Processing Limited, Rahul Savara, owners of the vessel, had on February 11, sent a letter of appreciation to the NIMASA Director-General, Dr, Dakuku Peterside, for the intervention of the agency in the incident.

    It would be recalled that NITOA and the Nigeria Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association a fortnight ago, blamed the NLNG and NIMASA over failure to respond swiftly to distress call on the fire incident that gutted MV ORC IV.

  • Owners, NIMASA clash over burnt ship

    How did the fire on MV ORCIV, a trawler, off the Bonny Channel in Rivers State, occur? Did the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) ignore the crew’s call for help?

    These are some of the posers raised by the ship owners and others who are blaming NIMASA for the incident.

    But NIMASA has absolved itself of any blame.

    Two seafarers are still missing from the incident.

    The Nigerian Trawler Owners Association (NITOA) and the Nigeria Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association (NMNOWTSSA) are accusing NIMASA of negligence.

    A fishing firm lost its ship to the fire on February 6, after what it claimed as repeated calls for help to NIMASA by the crew.

    NITOA and NMNOWTSSA expressed displeasure over what they called the negligence of the Regional Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (RMRCC)Unit of NIMASA.

    Speaking with reporters, NITOA President Akinsola Amire berated NIMASA, accusing it of inefficiency.

    According to him, the gravity of the fire would have been minimised, if the agency had responded on time.

    Amire said the agency did not have the wherewithal to address safety issues at sea.

    He quoted NIMASA as saying it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NLNG on putting out fires, adding: “Instead of NLNG to salvage the situation, it was asking for a contract before it could carry out the salvage operations.”

    Amire picked holes in NLNG’s claim that it went to the location and found that the vessel was beyond salvage.

    “NLNG did not go to the location but asked to sign a contract before the salvage operations could begin.

    “We must call a spade a spade. It is me today, it can be anybody tomorrow. The question is: What are they (NIMASA) coordinating? Is it just to bear the name? What is Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre doing? Just taking reports and doing nothing?” Amire said.

    NMNOWTSSA Secretary-General Comrade Julius Efokpor said: “Based on the information we gathered, we learnt NIMASA did not respond to the situation and it’s against the Safety Of Life At Sea (SOLAS) convention as a regulatory agency.

    “If they sent the right signal around as at the time of the distress call, I believe vessels around would have been able to assist the crew and the vessel in question.’’

    An official of NIMASA’s Search and Rescue unit, who pleaded anonymity, said: ”RMRCC operation is capital intensive and NIMASA cannot shoulder everything to handle issues of safety at sea alone because it is subjected to the will power.’’

    NIMASA, he said, had other stakeholders in the sector that assist whenever there are distress calls based on proximity to the location of a particular incident.

    “We got the alert around 8.30pm and we contacted our partner in that axis but we have network issues.

    “We contacted NLNG to assist and rescue the vessel from sinking,” he added.

  • Ex-NIMASA chief’s trial resumes March 11

    The Federal High Court in Lagos has adjourned the trial of former Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Director-General Dr Patrick Akpobolokemi to March 11 and 12.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charged him along with Ezekiel Agaba, Ekene Nwakuche, Felix Bob-Nabena, Captain Warredi Enisouh and a firm, Al-kenzo Ltd, on a 22-count charge of converting N3.4 billion belonging to NIMASA for personal use.

    The defendants were said to have committed the alleged offence between December 2013 and July 2015.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said they breached Sections 15 (1), (3), and 18 (a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibitions) Amendment Act, 2012.

    They pleaded not guilty.

    At the trial last week before Justice Ayokunle Faji, the court heard that NIMASA under Akpobolokemi allegedly paid N138.5 million to a company in 2014 despite not executing any contract.

    Fredrick Ugor, an engineer at NIMASA, told the court that he worked in the company before joining the agency.

    He testified in the trial of former and five others.

    They were charged with N3.4 billion fraud.

    Ugor said the funds were lodged in the company’s account by NIMASA’s Committee on Intelligence (COI) at different times in 2014.

    He said used Peniel Engineering Ltd for his services while also working as the Special Assistant to the Rivers State House of Assembly Speaker before he joined NIMASA.

    “I know Peniel Engineering Ltd. It is owned by my friend, Engineer Jolly James, while I was in Port-Harcourt.

    “It was the platform I was using for my business. The company is into maritime logistics, construction of roads and schools, etc.

    “It was not into intelligence gathering activities,” the witness said.

    He confirmed that N20 million, N35 million, N13 million, N35 million, N6 million, N22 million and N7.5 million were paid into the company’s account at different times in 2014 by COI.

    He told the court that the committee was set up by NIMASA’s management to gather intelligence aimed at stopping nefarious activities in the country.

    Ugor said he was not a member of the committee.

    “I did not know COI is in existence. I also know in the course of interrogation that the company’s account details was made available to the Committee by my Director, Captain Warredi Enisouh (fifth defendant). I gave it to him.

    “Peniel Engineering Ltd did not indulge in any intelligence gathering for NIMASA to warrant any payment into the company’s account,” he said.

  • How to enhance maritime litigation, by experts

    The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), in collaboration with the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS), has held a seminar for Federal High Court judges on strategic admiralty law. JOSEPH JIBUEZE reports.

    There is the need for “high level diligence” by lawyers and judges in maritime litigation due to the critical nature of the sector to the economy, according to a maritime law expert Chidi Ilogu (SAN).
    He said where the court and counsel are committed to ensuring expeditious hearing and determination of maritime cases, it would save time and cost of litigation.
    Besides, he said there is the need for the court to be equipped with requisite knowledge and expertise in order to adjudicate on maritime matters competently.
    Ilogu, president of Nigerian Maritime Law Association and a master’s degree holder in Maritime Law, reiterated that courts are obliged to interpret the statutes on admiralty matters to reflect the intention of the legislature and not defeat or frustrate it.
    “The court should not assume jurisdiction at all cost. The court should carefully apply the law, the rules of court and effectively consider the agreement between the parties in assuming or declining jurisdiction,” he said.
    Ilogu was one of the speakers at the strategic admiralty law seminar for judges jointly organised by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), in collaboration with the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS).
    He listed the role of judges in settling maritime disputes, namely: upholding and preserving the rule of law, the duty to do substantial justice, the need to master statutes, rules, laws, conventions and procedures governing admiralty matters; and the the need to interpret the statute to reflect the intention of the lawmaker.
    He said judges must also ensure consistency in judgment, must not speculate, must properly evaluate evidence, prevent abuse of court process, must not be biased, must only rely on admissible evidence, encourage amicable settlement/alternative dispute resolution and refrain from granting reliefs not claimed.
    Ilogu said they should avoid determination of the substantive suit while ruling on interlocutory applications, must not descend into the arena, and should administer justice with mild temperament.
    For lawyers, the SAN said their role is to assist the court, diligently prosecute cases, not to abuse court process, to desist from prosecuting frivolous actions, to comply with the rules and orders of the court, and to be consistent in the presentation of cases (not taking a stance in the trial court and another on appeal).
    “Lawyers are also to ensure that pleadings are well drafted with clarity. They must maintain proper decorum while exhibiting sound knowledge of the law,” he said.
    Ilogu continued: “The apparent declining level of maritime litigation in Nigeria can be attributable severally to delays in the adjudication process, unpredictable decisions of the courts and poor handling of cases by counsel.
    “As has been observed, maritime litigation is highly international in nature and there is every need for maritime jurisprudence in Nigeria to be relatively consistent and uniform with the norms and customs in maritime business, shipping, international trade and conventions applicable in other jurisdictions.
    “As such, maritime litigation in Nigeria should keep pace with international best practices to avoid a ‘run’ on Nigerian courts.
    “Though much statistics may not be available to buttress the point, it would appear that arbitration of maritime matters is gaining grounds over and above maritime litigation in Nigeria.
    “This may be seen as an ‘unhealthy’ development which may not be in the best interest of counsel and the courts.
    “It is the primary duty of the court to ensure that substantial justice is done to the parties before it and the corresponding duty of counsel is to assist the court in ensuring that substantial justice is done in all cases.
    “This, coupled with quick dispensation of justice, should be able to sustain the confidence of litigants in our judicial system,” he said.

    ‘Why fines are needed’
    Highflyers Solicitors Principal Partner, Matthew Egbadon, whose paper dwelled on the use of administrative fines and penalties in the enforcement of legal instruments, urged regulatory agencies to be firm.
    He said: “The dominant view is that imposition of fines and penalties are legitimate and desirable administrative tools used by agencies of government, including maritime administrators, to enforce their mandate, globally.
    “Their use, in most cases, saves time and resources as well as promote efficiency and harmony.
    “The powers to impose fine and penalty where and when necessary, which are vested in some government agencies (including NIMASA), by the various enabling statutes and instruments, are very clear and unambiguous and logically, are in the overall public interest.
    “They should not been seen or regarded as an infraction on, or a derogation from, the constitutional provisions on the separation of powers.
    “The agencies must, therefore, be supported in the use of this tool, since inherent in the use of this tool, are requirements of due process principles,” he said.
    Egbadon, however, warned regulatory agencies against abuse of power.
    “It must be emphasised, however, that the agencies must be firm, fair and predictable in the use of fines or penalties as a tool of enforcement of their mandate.
    “The powers must not be capriciously deployed, otherwise any agency who does that may be held liable for wrongful use of the tool, with the attendant consequences,” he said.

    Managing maritime security

    A Senior Associate at Olaniwun Ajayi LP, Dr Chukwuechefu Ukattah, noted that various acts that are inimical to maritime security have continuously posed a threat to safety and security of shipping activities on Nigerian waters and security in port facilities.
    These threats, he said, underscore the need for not only a robust legal framework for combating maritime security threats but a robust maritime security management framework that would ensure continued economic growth.
    He identified some of the threats as armed robbery, sea piracy and illegal fishing, among others.
    According to him, cyber-attack on ships and port facilities is the most recent menace in the shipping industry and is gradually becoming a huge threat to the global maritime sector.
    “Nigeria’s maritime domain continues to be one of the hotspots of maritime crimes, especially armed robbery at sea and the attendant inimical effect of this menace on Nigeria’ socio-economic fabric underscores the need for concerted efforts by all maritime stakeholders in combating the menace.
    “Maritime security management though not a complete panacea for maritime crimes plays a critical role in the maritime security architecture of states and helps ensure that inimical acts in states maritime domain are detected and deterred.
    “The Nigerian legislature has made commendable efforts over the years to enact laws to combat acts of violence on Nigeria’s waters, though the extant laws are not sufficiently comprehensive to cover all acts of violence on Nigeria’s waters.
    “However, the provisions of some of the extant laws that have hitherto not been ‘tested’ in combating acts of armed robbery at sea in Nigerian waters need to tested by the State through the ‘fire’ of legal interpretation.
    “This underscores the role of all stakeholders, especially our courts, in growing our jurisprudence on maritime security and maritime security management by ensuring the organic interpretation of our laws towards not just giving effect to the legislative intent behind the enactment of statutes but ensuring that lacunae/flaws in extant maritime security enactments are identified.
    “In domesticating international conventions, our legislature must take cognisance of our local circumstances and peculiarities as a nation and discontinue the current trend of ‘cutting and pasting’ international laws in our domestic law by reference and ensure that extant laws are periodically reviewed to take cognisance of developments in the local and global maritime space.
    “Nigeria occupies a pivotal place in the comity of maritime nations and ought to be at the vanguard of enacting laws that would serve as model laws (which will fill the gaps in international conventions) to be emulated by other maritime nations,” Ukattah said.

    Enforcing maritime labour
    conventions
    Olisa Agbakoba Legal Maritime Unit Head, Dr. Oluwole Akinyeye, said the judiciary has a critical role to play in compliance and enforcement of maritime labour conventions.
    To him, the judiciary cannot play its role in ensuring compliance with the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) 2006, if Nigeria fails to domesticate it.
    “The claim of crew wages loses its status as a maritime lien and can no longer be enforced by arresting the ship that is connected to the cause of action.
    “The claim of crew wages loses the crucial advantage of ranking over other competing maritime claims that do not fall within the class of maritime liens.
    “The claimant-crewman is deprived of ship-security for the satisfaction of the judgment obtained in respect of the maritime claim, as the judgment debtor might be insolvent.
    “The loss of admiralty flavour of the claim of crew wages, renders its enforcement strictly based on an action in personam, entirely dependent upon the claimant being able to properly serve a summons on the defendant, who could be in some distant land.
    “Claims on crew wages arising in Nigeria cannot be enforced in other maritime countries via the action in rem, as it is no longer a maritime claim. Likewise, maritime litigants cannot come to Nigeria to enforce their claims in respect of crew wages.
    “While it is true that the claimant-crewmen can approach the NIC for the enforcement of their claim for wages, it is also true that such enforcement is bedeviled by the shortcomings of stripping the FHC of its jurisdiction over crew wages, as earlier considered.
    “There was no need for the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to strip the FHC of its admiralty jurisdiction over crew wages, as this affects the role of the judiciary in effectively enforcing the claims that could arise from the maritime labour convention, specifically in respect of crew wages.
    “Consequently, it is hoped that the legislature will take cognisance of the far reaching effects of stripping the FHC of its admiralty jurisdiction and take steps to remedy the position,” Akinyeye said.

    Review compensation regime

    A resource person, Mrs S. N. Asagwara, said the Civil Liability Conventions (CLC) govern the liability of the shipowner with respect to any spill or discharge of relevant oil from a ship.
    She said the need to develop an international compensation regime was established after the 1967 Torrey Canyon incident which caused vast environmental damage.
    “The need for deep knowledge of the provisions of the compensation regime and other International Conventions to which Nigeria is a Party is paramount,” she said.

  • NIMASA vows to secure waterways

    The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) will secure the nation’s territorial waters, its director-general, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has said.

    Speaking when the Consular-General of the Korean Embassy in Nigeria, Kim In-Taek, visited him in his office, Peterside reiterated the Federal Government’s efforts to ensure the waterways are safer for navigation.

    While responding to concerns raised by the Consular-General about the hijack of MV. Glarus, he assured the international community and the seafarers of safe navigation.

    His words: “Nigeria is totally committed to the safety of all vessels that come on its coastal waters. Efforts have been doubled to ensure that vessels calling at Nigerian ports are safe and secure by investing even more in surveillance to guaranty safety of vessels.  NIMASA is working closely with the Nigerian Navy and the National Intelligence Agency”.

    He noted that Nigeria was expected to witness a drastic drop in maritime crimes with the additional security measures being put in place by the agency, saying the country ultimately aims to completely rid its coastal waters of pirates and other criminals.

    On strengthening the relationship between Nigeria and Korea, Peterside said Nigeria was taking steps to establish new synergies with other countries and further existing ones, such as its relations with Korea. He said Nigeria cherished its relationship with Korea and encouraged a mutually beneficial working relationship between both countries in ship building, shipping development as well as human capacity development and other aspects of the maritime industry.

  • Dakuku to maritime world: Africa ready for your investments

    The Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has urged foreign investors to tap into the opportunities that abound in the African maritime sector.

    He said the continent was one of the largest in terms of cargo contributions to global maritime trade.

    Dakuku, who spoke at the Nigerian Business Summit on the sidelines of the recently concluded Shipbuilding, Machinery Technology (SMM) Conference held in Hamburg, Germany, said Africa generated and received a lot of cargo “and this makes it a market hub of the present and future.”

    He said the maritime sector was open to investments, adding that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government had put policies in place that would be beneficial to investors.

    Dakuku said: “It is known worldwide that Africa is the world’s biggest untapped market waiting to be unveiled. If you want to tap into the market of today and market of future, then Nigeria is your destination. The country is welcoming you. Nigeria is the investment destination of today and future.”

    He said any investment from outside the continent must be beneficial to both parties, adding that Africa would not be shortchanged.

    The NIMASA D-G advised foreigners willing to participate in the biggest maritime industry to propose symbiotic terms that would ensure sincere trade among participants.

    He said the continent is leaning towards China because it offers better understanding of the African market.

    Dakuku noted that Europeans must also come to the party with genuine interest and opportunities of financing for the sector, which the industry was in dire need of.

    Said he: “China appears to be offering Africa favourable terms of engagement in terms of cost of financing project. In terms of the duration for the payment of facilities and in terms of ease of transfer of technology, Europe may offer better technology, Europe may even offer better managerial capability, but what of the issue of financing? It is up to Europe to realise that the market of future is in Africa and it offers mutually beneficial terms, not terms that benefit Europe only to the detriment of Africa. So if you offer us favourable terms of engagement, then Africa is open for business, Nigeria is open for business.”

    Nigerian Ambassador to Germany Yusuf Maitama Tuggar said the SMM Hamburg offered a platform for maritime investors across the globe to cross fertilise ideas.

    He said Nigeria was ready for investment, adding that the Buhari administration  remained resolute and determined in providing an enabling environment and repositioning the maritime industry to compete with its counterparts around the world, especially with the introduction of policies and programmes that had impacts on the sector, thereby making it more attractive for foreign investments.

    The SMM, Hamburg is a maritime trade fair organised biannually in Germany to discuss germane issues of maritime by key players in the industry worldwide.

    This year’s summit brought to the fore the impact of emissions from ships, requesting every maritime nation to seek avenues of emission reduction.

     

     

     

  • Illegal fishing: Peterside vows to protect waterways

    The Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Dakuku Peterside, has vowed to protect the nation’s territorial waters against pollution and illegal fishing.

    Findings revealed that the rate of polluting the territorial waters, illegal fishing and dumping of hazardous wastes has reduced drastically, based on the new measures put in place by the NIMASA helmsman.

    A member of the Fishery Society of Nigeria (FISON), Alfred Adegoroye, said NIMASA was  working with foreign partners to develop the capacity in tackling the crisis caused by pollution, hazardous waste dumping and illegal fishing

    Adegoroye said the dumping of toxic waste in the maritime domain and the increasing crimes on the coastline were attracting the required attention and commitment on the side of the Federal Government and NIMASA in providing capability and cooperation with foreign partners to build the nation’s maritime capability.

    Adegoroye pointed out that NIMASA and other security experts around the Horn of Africa have developed theories over the increasing hazardous wastes dumping and piracy

    He said Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand had set the stage for cooperation between states, both in information exchange and mobilisation of resources.

    Another member of the group, Mrs Lola Bilesanmi, observed that the insecurity in Africa’s waterways had forced insurers to hike rates for ships passing through the region.

    Specifically, coastal and inland states had seen their vital trade links threatened by pirates, a situation that led to rising costs that their populations must bear.

    “As at now, there are no clear answers as to the best ways to ensure maritime security, nor are there clear answers as to what percentage of resources nations should allocate to maritime security to best facilitate the goal of furthering development, but we need to give Kudos to NIMASA for its current initiatives,’’ she said.

    Since piracy is not the only threat to maritime security, another member, Mr Sesan Olanipekun, advised the government to adopt best practices that can be implemented to boost the current efforts of NIMASA.

  • NIMASA hands over rescue helicopter to Navy

    The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) on Friday handed over its 16-seater AW149 Search and Rescue helicopter to the Nigeria Navy (NN) for better maritime domain security.

    The handover, according to NIMASA’s Executive Director Operations, Rotimi Fasakin, followed a directive from President Muhammadu Buhari that the helicopter which was acquired by NIMASA in 2007 be handed over to the NN.

    The Nation reports that the helicopter which was developed and produced principally by AgustaWesland, now Leonardo Helicopters, has twin engines and the capability to perform different roles such as Search and Rescue, VIP airlift, offshore transport, firefighting, maritime patrol, law enforcement, emergency medical service and disaster relief.

    Speaking at the Naval Air Base Ojo, Lagos, Friday evening, Fasakin noted that the aircraft, which could perform some military operations, had always been domiciled with the navy.

    He said although the navy always had operational control over it, with the presidential directive, all documents and other accessories of the helicopter would be handed over to the service.

    Fasakin said: “It has been a long journey. The helicopter was purchased by NIMASA in April 2007. Two years after its purchase, NIMASA entered into an MoU with the navy. Since then, both agencies have had strong partnership in safeguarding the nation’s maritime domain.

    “Ever since the aircraft was purchased, it has been under the operational management of the NN. The aircraft is also suited for a few military operations so, the president in his wisdom deemed it fit that NIMASA formally hands over to the navy and that is what we have done.

    “Since its acquisition, the RESCUE 1 has flown a total of 243 hours and 45 minutes. It has been successfully deployed for various operations.

    “The partnership with the NN has been very strong, effective, effectual and efficient. It has helped to give NIMASA the needed teeth to bite within the Nigeria maritime space. It has helped NIMASA carry out its constitutional mandates.”