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Tag: NIMASA

  • NIMASA backs local participation in crude oil lifting

    NIMASA backs local participation in crude oil lifting

    Foreign domination of crude oil lifting may soon end,  of going by the plan if the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).

    The agency is pushing for indigenous shipowners to take over the lucrative enterprise.

    Its Director-General, Dr Dakuku Peterside, told The Nation that local participation in the trade would be in the national interest.

    Indigenous shipowners’ participation, he noted, would create jobs, reduce crime, generate more revenue and ensure security at sea and the ports.

    A senior official of the Federal Ministry of Transport, who craved anonymity, said the Transport Minister, Rotimi Amaechi, has ordered NIMASA to find a lasting solution to the problem.

    “There is no iota of doubt that the Federal Government through the ministry of transportation is determined to involve indigenous shipowners in crude oil lifting to provide jobs for Nigerians and put an end to foreign domination of the trade. Everybody in the country knows that it would be more profitable for a Nigerian ship to lift our crude and the current Director-General of NIMASA Dr Dakuku Peterside can be trusted to deliver on that mandate,” he said.

    Also, a member of Nigerian Shipowners Association (NISA), Mr Fola Badmus, said there are many qualified Nigerians in this field, but that they have no jobs, adding that using foreign vessels was not in the best interest of the nation because when the dependent country has crisis, Nigeria may have challenges lifting its crude.

    He said at the last count, indigenous investments in the sector have created over 40,000 jobs across the hydrocarbon value chain.

    “We will gain about N900 million a day if we use our own indigenous ships to lift crude oil. This is because the country carries million of barrels of crude a day at the rate of $2.50 per barrel,” he said.

    He added that the huge sum would have accrued to the country and created employment for at least 5,000 professionals in the sector.

    “The advantage is that indigenous ships will get their foods, water, tug boats, chandelling, engineers and rags from Nigerians,” he noted.

    Badmus added that the volume of vehicles being imported through the seaports had reduced drastically due to the introduction of the automotive policy by the past administration.

    He corroborated the position of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at last year’s general conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) that the hike in Customs duty on imported items has created jobs for  neighbouring Benin Republic.

    He alleged that over 70 per cent of fairly-used vehicles, popularly known as Tokunbo, being imported into the market come through the Port of Cotonou, Benin Republic.

    “The volume of imported vehicles into the country has reduced drastically since the Federal Government banned the importation of used vehicles through the land borders to enhance the implementation of the auto policy,” he noted.

    A senior official of one of the terminals at Tin Can Island Port, Apapa, Lagos, who craved anonymity, said the policy has increased the volume of vehicles being imported through  the nation’s seaports. He, therefore,  urged President Buhari not to halt the implementation of the policy to bring succour to terminal operators dealing with imported vehicles.

    “Before the introduction of the auto policy, we were discharging 5,000  to 6,000 vehicles every month. It was a pity that we are doing less than 1,200 vehicles before the government banned the importation of vehicles through the land borders and the new policy has assisted us in servicing our equipment, pay NPA and salaries at the end of the month.

    “We have noticed that the number of vehicles coming into Cotonou has reduced dramatically. Everyone can understand what this means to the Nigerian economy.

    “This policy is surely affecting the port industry and this is affecting the economy of the country positively because we read in one of your reports that smugglers were using many un-approved routes around Idiroko border in Ogun State to bring their vehicles into the country. That  has been reduced to the lowest ebb with the embargo placed by the Federal Government,” he said.

    He however, said many Nigerians could not afford to buy some the imported used vehicles because of the 35 per cent duty placed on them and urged the Federal Government to review the auto policy.

  • Buhari: we’ll unlock oceans, seas potential

    Buhari: we’ll unlock oceans, seas potential

    President Muhammadu Buhari has said Nigeria will reposition the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to facilitate economic prosperity.

    This, he said, will be done by unlocking the huge potential in this country’s ocean and seas.

    Buhari spoke yesterday at a three-day conference of the Association of African Maritime Administrations (AAMA) in Abuja.

    AAMA is an umbrella body of five African Maritime Stakeholders’ groups, such as Association of Maritime Administrations of Africa, Africa’s Ship Registry Forum, African Ship Owners Association as well as Africa Shippers’ Council and Seafarers’ Forum.

    The President urged other African leaders to tap into the huge resources in their oceans to boost the continent’s economic development and provide jobs for their people.

    Buhari, who was represented by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, said the opportunities in the vast oceans surrounding the continent needed to be harnessed to diversify its economy.

    The theme of the event is: “Sustainable use of Africa’s oceans and seas”. It was hosted by NIMASA.

    Buhari added that there was the need for other African countries to develop regulatory and legal frameworks that will properly manage maritime resources and address the challenges facing the sector.

    Leaders of the AAMA, Buhari said, must evolve synergies to reap the benefits of the oceans to ensure socio-economic emancipation of the continent.

    The president said:  ”Here in Nigeria, we have taken steps to tackle some of the issues peculiar to us while still calling for regional and sub-regional collaborations. We have set up engagement to resolve and address the misunderstanding and contentious issues in Niger Delta which, off course, is part of Gulf Guinea.

    “We recently approved a new maritime security architecture and infrastructure to be jointly coordinated by NIMASA, NSA and FMOT. We have given required support to the Navy so that they can work with others within our sub-region to effectively police our waters to facilitate trade.

    “This arrangement will also contribute to resolving and eliminating piracy and sea robbery in our maritime domain on our waters. The results are encouraging and piracy has dropped dramatically, especially in the last six months.

    “We are making substantive investment to improve human capacity by taking advantage of international trade in the shipping and our maritime industry.

    “The measure we are putting in place is to increase efficiency of our port and to enable quick turnaround time of vessels. Technology is also being introduced to make our port operation effective to support economic growth. NIMASA as regulator agency is being reformed to play effective role as a facilitator of economic prosperity.”

    Senate President Bukola Saraki, who was represented by Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah, said NIMASA’s efforts “have led to an upward swing in the level of local participation of Nigerians in the maritime industry and the use of Nigerian waters and seas for lawful economic activities”.

    House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara called for collaboration among African countries to cultivate and reap the benefits of its oceans.

    Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi said the African maritime transport charter inspired the formation of AAMA and encouraged information sharing, inter agency collaboration, sub-regional cooperation and approach to planning, implementation and maritime regulation on the principle of inclusiveness and collaboration.

    The government, Amaechi said, has stepped up efforts to make Nigeria a deserved maritime hub in the West and Central Africa by embarking on comprehensive port reforms and upgrading port infrastructure as well as linking the ports to the rail network to boost efficiency and quick cargo clearance.

    NIMASA’s Director-General Dakuku Peterside called for concerted efforts at tackling Africa’s maritime administration challenges.

    Dr Peterside, in  opening remarks at the conference, said: “We are particularly delighted that this conference, the third in the series after the first in Mombasa, Kenya and the second in Sandton, South Africa, is holding on our shores. Nigeria’s place in the maritime world is not only deserved, it is common knowledge.”

    “It (Nigeria) is special in the maritime community in Africa for a number of reasons,’’ the director-general said.

    He said Nigeria accounted for over 60 per cent of the total sea-borne traffic in volume and value in West and Central Africa.

    Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Kitack Lim said AAMA should not relent in its determination to increase Africa’s share of global investments in the maritime sector.

    Lim, who was represented by an official of the IMO, Mr William Azu, said the maritime sector provided raw materials, food items, employment and transportation of 80 per cent of global trade.

    The conference ends today.

  • Navy, NIMASA sign MoU on maritime security 

    Navy, NIMASA sign MoU on maritime security 

    The Nigerian Navy (NN) and Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) yesterday signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Strategic partnership for the  security of the maritime industry.

    Signing the MoU at the Nigerian Navy Headquarters in Abuja, the Director General, NIMASA, Dr.Dakuku Peterside, noted that it is the responsibility of NIMASA to ensure the safety of vessels in the Nigerian maritime sector but lacked the operational capacity to effectively carry out the core responsibility.

    “ We do not have the operational capacity to carry out the responsibility, that is why we have partnered with the Nigerian Navy. With this partnership, we have reduced maritime crime, vessels are more confident to call at Nigerian ports because we are working with the Nigerian Navy,” he said.

    The NN and NIMASA on April 12, 2007, signed the first MOU for Maritime security.

  • Navy, NIMASA sign MoU on service delivery

    The Nigerian Navy on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) for effective and efficient service delivery.

    The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, said the signing of the MoU had become imperative because of the importance of the nation’s maritime domain.

    Ibas said the first MoU that was signed between the two organisations yielded a remarkable achievement.

    This, he said, necessitated the review of the MoU to continue to work together to protect the nation’s assets from crude oil thieves and other criminals.

    He said the first quarter of 2016 witnessed an unprecedented high rate of crime in the nation’s maritime domain but due to the collaboration of the two organisations, the crime was drastically reduced.

    Ibas said the service needed more support from sister agencies to enable it to carry out its professional responsibility of safeguarding the nation’s maritime domain and other responsibilities.

    He expressed optimism that intelligence, facility and information sharing would go a long way in assisting the service to carry out its professional responsibilities.

    The Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, expressed delight at the signing of the MOU, saying it would avail the two organisations with yet another opportunity to continue to safeguard the nation’s assets.

    Peterside said the major responsibility of NIMASA was to safeguard the maritime domain and rid it of illegal activities and making the environment conducive for legal activities.

    NAN

     

  • Ex-Acting DG of NIMASA: EFCC told me I was not the target

    Ex-Acting DG of NIMASA: EFCC told me I was not the target

    A former Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Acting Director-General, Haruna Jauro, who is on trial for alleged N304 million fraud, has told the Federal High Court in Lagos that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) told him during investigation that he was not the target.
    He said he was made to believe that he would be used as a prosecution witness in the trial of former NIMASA DG, Dr. Patrick Akpobolokemi.
    Jauro said EFCC operatives told him that he would be confirmed as the substantive DG, if he cooperated.
    The former NIMASA Executive Director, Finance and Administration, acted briefly as DG following Akpobolokemi’s removal.
    Jauro was charged along with Dr. Dauda Bawa and Thlumbau Enterprises Limited on 19 counts of converting a total of N304.1million belonging to NIMASA.
    Testifying in a trial-within-trial to determine if his statement was made voluntarily, Jauro said in July 2015, a team of EFCC operatives visited NIMASA while he still acting as DG.
    He said the operatives’ leader asked if he would like to be confirmed as DG.
    He said: “I replied yes and the leader then told me that he would be happy if I was confirmed as substantive DG and that my maximum cooperation would be needed. He then told me that they were there to investigate the former DG and then asked me about my involvement in the running of the agency.
    “I told him my involvement includes: employment of staff, procurement procedures, payment procedures, budget proposals and many other areas. After some days, he came back to me and said that he had discovered that all I told him about my activities in NIMASA were correct and that I had nothing to hide. He said EFCC would make me a witness in the trial of the ex-DG.”
    According to him, the story changed when he got to the EFCC for interrogation and was given an asset declaration form to complete, but his lawyer was not allowed near the interrogation table.
    Jauro said he was later told that there were “orders” from Abuja that he should be detained.
    During cross-examination by EFCC prosecutor Rotimi Oyedepo, Jauro said he was not forced to admit to any crime.
    Oyedepo asked: “You were appointed in acting capacity as DG of NIMASA by the President and also removed by same authority right?” Jauro: “Yes”
    The prosecutor asked: “So, it will be right to say the EFCC is not in any position to determine your appointment?” Jauro replied: “Well, yes.”
    Oyedepo then asked Jauro if he personally filled the column for date, occupation, address and other details in the statement. Jauro answered in the affirmative.
    Justice Mojisola Olatoregun-Ishola adjourned till April 28 for adoption of written addresses in the trial-within-trial.

  • NCDMB, NIMASA, others back in-country integration of Egina FPSO

    The  Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has thrown its weight behind the in-country Egina floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) units at the SHI-MCI yard in Lagos.

    A joint venture between Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) and Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics Base (LADOL), the the firm’s objective is to build and integrate ships and FPSO vessels.

    SHI-MCI FZE known as Samsung Heavy Industries -Mega Construction Integration Free Zone at the LADOL Free Zone in Lagos is handling a part of the integration that will produce Egina Deepwater Field in Oil Mining Lease (OML) 130 to be operated by Total Upstream Nigeria Limited (TUPNI).

    SHI is the main contractor, while LADOL is a subcontractor and one of the local content vehicles for the FPSO project.

    Beside NCDMB, other agencies supporting the local integration of Egina FPSO are Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) and the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA).

    According to the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Simbi Wabote, the integration at the SHI-MCI fabrication yard would collaborate with the Board and ancilliary agencies, adding that this would be the first time this would happen in the country.

    The agencies declared their commitments to the project after inspecting the FPSO under construction at the SHI yard in Geoje, South Korea.

    The FPSO is scheduled to sail in June and will arrive in the SHI-MCI yard in Lagos, in September, where the six modules fabricated in-country will be integrated, with 21400 pre-inauguration tasks it is expected to be performed. After the integration, the FPSO will be towed to the Egina field, about 200 kilometres south of Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital and hooked-up for operation.

    Speaking during the visit, Wabote urged TUPNI to identify issues that required the Board’s intervention ahead of the arrival of the FPSO. Such approvals as authorisations for expatriates would lead the integration, towing of the FPSO and other scopes, would guarantee the smooth conclusion of the project, he said.

    He underscored the importance of the Egina project to the economy, particularly the addition of 200,000 barrels to the country’s daily crude. Egina will also contribute to the Federal Government’s commitment to address production decline and shore up national revenue.The  industry needs more projects to build capacity and keep facilities from wasting, he added.

    Wabote hailed Total and SHI for their Nigerian Content credentials on the project, adding that such huge Nigerian content happened in the project because of the push by the NCDMB, though Total was convinced it still needed a little push.

    “We are happy with the progress of the project and its contribution to local content and the national economy. FPSOs have been built abroad in the past and moved straight to site. This is the first time that many Nigerians will see what it looks like.”

    The NCDMB  chief also announced plans by the Board to organise a knowledge sharing session on Nigerian Content to enable international oil companies (IOCs) share strategies they deployed in their projects. The session, he explained, would ensure that IOCs leverage local Content experiences of others when planning projects or faced with similar challenges.

    NCDMB, he said, was developing guidelines that would ensure that Nigerian companies participate in the operations phase in oil and gas projects, noting that the sustainability of the Nigerian Content lies in the operations phase which often lasts about 25 years.

    TUPNI Deputy Managing Director, Mr. Ahmadu Kida Musa, commended the collaboration between his firm and the NCDMB teams on the Egina project, charging the Board to continue pushing the boundaries of Nigerian Content implementation.

    He commended regulatory agencies that pledged to support the in-country integration phase, noting: “Some of the things we will be seeing have not been done in Nigeria. We would need accelerated approvals while not breaking the law.”

    He praised SHI and LADOL for forming the consortium that has made  FPSO integration possible, noting that they had positioned themselves for future projects. He challenged the partners to work together to further develop the yard to attract the African market.

    SHI-MCI Managing Director  Mr. C. W. Kim, reaffirmed his firm’s preparedness to help Nigeria boost its technological knowhow. This informed the decision to make the long-term investment, he said.  “We decided to invest in Nigeria for the long term, not just for Egina. It would not make sense to invest for just one project; it needs several projects. We have capacity in construction and we have been in business for over 40 years. To succeed in Nigeria, we plan to be competitive and operate with a long term plan,“ he added.

    The in-country integration of the FPSO and fabrication of six modules of the vessel created 5000 direct jobs and 5000 indirect jobs.

  • NIMASA partners Navy, Air Force to fight oil theft, piracy

    NIMASA partners Navy, Air Force to fight oil theft, piracy

    TO fight oil thieves and pirates on our territorial waters, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) is partnering the Nigerian Navy and Nigeria Airforce.

    It has acquired some surveillance equipment to monitor the waterways and secure the ports.

    In furtherance of the engagement, NIMASA now operates a 24-hour surveillance regime, capturing vessels in the nation’s maritime domain irrespective of weather conditions.

    More than 5,000 ships ply the territorial waters yearly. Some vessels, sources said, violate international laws by engaging in illegal activities, including stealing of crude oil and other criminal activities.

    Its Director-General, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, said the agency achieves profile analyses, which include the flag, registered owner, operator, beneficial owner and movement of ships over a specified period.

    He said: “The system enables us to take very swift decision in real time, on any targeted ship. Currently, all offshore areas of interest have been electronically cordoned off with a guard zone via our surveillance system and we can at once link activities in the oil fields and on crude oil platforms.

    “ The system has not only greatly increased our capacity to block revenue leaks but has increased our revenue as all vessels coming into Nigeria are now captured and analysed for billing.

    “Our administration has been able to integrate surveillance data with billing control information, thereby driving our desire for the agency’s billing system to be fully operational  by two-thirds, from 72-hour down to 24 hours while keeping our eyes the target timeline of six hour billing,” Peterside said.

    A senior official of the Federal Ministry of Transport (FMoT), who craved anonymity, said the nation loses 200,000 barrels of crude oil to theft.

    “They are collaborating to curb oil theft, piracy and other criminalities, The Nation has learnt. More than 5,000 international ships ply the territorial waters yearly. Some of the vessels violate international laws by engaging in illegal activities.

    “The Air Force has acquired three maritime 128-6, F27 and ATR-42-500 jets and other planes to monitor the activities of oil thieves and other criminals.

    “The high-tech plane ATR-42-500 jet is being operated by the Air Force. The plane is fitted with sensors, radar and Electro-Optic Surveillance and Tracking (EOST) equipment, which houses three cameras to monitor ships in Nigerian waters.

    “The 20-seat plane can fly as low as 200 feet (60 metres) above the sea and passes on information about maritime traffic to the navy, who can intervene with fast-attack craft if necessary.

    “The collaboration is aimed at fighting all manner of maritime crimes in the country. With this aircraft, we can spot any vessel hundreds of kilometres (miles) away,” said Group Captain Enobong Eneh Effiom.

    “The aircraft is inscribed with the words: ‘Vigilance over the ocean’. The cameras installed in the planes function well at night based on their high powered lights.

    “For any sustainable and meaningful growth in the maritime sector, a robust maritime domain awareness system is inevitable. NIMASA has, therefore, entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Air Force to enhance water patrol and aerial surveillance of Nigeria’s maritime domain.

    “The collaboration with the Air force will assist NIMASA in tackling the challenges of large and unrestricted navigational areas, small and non-cooperative objects taking advantage of the dense maritime activity to conceal their actions and it would also protect the ports and ships against attacks,” Effiom said.

    He said the agency was striving to ensure that the government and security agencies had access to accurate, comprehensive and up-to-the-minute situation data of the vessel traffic at sea.

    The jets, it was learnt, were built in France and equipped in Italy with radars, cameras and other security gadgets.

    It was gathered that the Navy has also acquired an equipment called Regional Maritime Awareness Capability Centre (RMAC) to aid the fightt.

    The equipment, findings showed, was imported from Japan for about N2 billion. It has high-frequency radio and long-range cameras, capable of spotting ships up to 48 kilometres away on the waters.

    “From the domain awareness centre, we can see ships from anywhere in the world coming or leaving our maritime space. It also gives us the ability to ascertain the actual threat the vessel poses,” the official said.

    The idea for the tripartite collaboration, a source said, started a few years ago

    It was learnt that NIMASA sought the help of the Air Force when it discovered that the war against pirates was complicated.

    “With the equipment in the planes, NIMASA can monitor even the unusual movement of vessels at sea and keep their records,” the official said.

    The jets, it was learnt, draw on the latest technology to provide a reliable, round-the-clock monitoring.

  • Repositioning NIMASA

    Repositioning NIMASA

    With the rise of international trade, shipping in Nigeria becomes more sophisticated with each passing day. And the agency charged with regulating shipping matters in the country is Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA.) Set up ten years ago, the agency had National Maritime Authority (NMA) and Joint Maritime Labour Industrial Council (JOMALIC), both formerly parastatals of the Federal Ministry of Transport, as its predecessors. And currently heading NIMASA is Dr Dakuku Peterside, who was appointed as Director General on March 10, 2016.

    Less than six months after assuming office, the Peterside-led management upgraded Nigeria’s subscription of the Lloyds list intelligence to a full bouquet, which gives the agency unfettered access to current maritime industry data. This has improved the volume and quality of data available to Nigerian maritime stakeholders.

    Following a directive from the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, to reform NIMASA, the agency under Peterside restructured its operations to operate beyond JOMALIC and NMA format. In addition to this, the agency, since Peterside took over, has repositioned itself according to a Medium-Term Strategy Growth Plan to deliver on its mission within three years. The plan is built on five pillars, including Survey, Inspection and Certification Transformation programme; Environment, Security and Search and Rescue Transformation programme; growing indigenous tonnage and ship building; Digital Transformation Strategy; and Structural and Cultural reforms, including changes to work ethic and attitude of staff as well as processes and procedures.

    For those who know him, these moves are in tandem with how Peterside, who has a doctorate in Management Science (Organisational Behaviour) from the University of Port Harcourt, operates. The man who has garnered the reputation of a technocrat held various posts before being appointed as Rivers State Commissioner of Works from October 2007 to January 2011. After that, he contested election in 2011 and was elected as a Member of the House of Representatives between May 2011 and May 2015 , and he served as chairman, House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) where he actively participated in the oil sector.

    Since NIMASA is a behemoth, the DG recognised the need to be nimble to be spike efficiency; hence many powers have been decentralised at its zones. Consequently, payment of bills by stakeholders as well as issuance of sailing certificates which used to be completely coordinated from the head office can now be obtained at the zones, leading to ease of doing business and overall productivity. Of course, this step would bring about more responsibilities to the zones, most of which are now headed by substantive Directors. With the online revolution, NIMASA is proactively ensuring that its zones operate in a semi-autonomous manner to enhance the operation of the agency.

    Nigeria is a member of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), and in January 2016, it became mandatory to subject member states to comply with the IMO Member State Audit Scheme (IMSAS), a scheme developed by the IMO. Peterside subjected NIMASA to the scheme, and Nigeria was well-rated after the exercise.

    Furthermore, the United States Coast Guard recently visited the country for the purpose of ascertaining the level of security at Nigerian Ports on the basis of the International Ships and Ports Facility Security (ISPS) code. And following their inspection, NIMASA, which is the body charged with the responsibility of maintaining security at the country’s ports, was highly commended by the U.S. Coast Guard delegation.

    This position reinforces the management’s resolve towards ensuring that all ships and ports in the country are safe. At the opening of a training organised by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in conjunction with NIMASA on ISPS code compliance in Lagos, Peterside said NIMASA will continually update its staff with knowledge and technologies to comply with the ISPS Code.

    “Our people and values are hallmarks of a good and strong organisation,” Peterside was quoted as saying.  It is expected that Peterside should appreciate organisational methods, given his background. He has attended leadership and management courses at the Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University USA; Kellog School of Management, Chicago, J. Mack Robinson College of Business, Georgia-Atlanta; Galilee College Israel and USB Business School Stellenbosch, South Africa, among others.

    Peterside also said: “Recognising that our greatest asset is our people, the leadership of the maritime industry in Nigeria is committed to building a skilled, talented and effective workforce. This is why we take advantage of every training programme to equip our people and prepare them for new challenges that come up daily in the course of carrying out their assignments.” Walking the talk, the Peterside administration has motivated over 300 staff via promotion, including staff due for promotion to Director cadre.

    NIMASA is set to build new offices in its Eastern and Central Zones, following a recent approval of the Board of Directors to construct new offices in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and Warri, Delta State.  This is a sure way of achieving the objective of positive decentralisation of  NIMASA activities.

    In addition, the new NIMASA management has demonstrated absolute commitment to the disbursement of the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF)

    Regarding the digital transformation of NIMASA, the agency is set to fully automate its operational and payment processes. Aside from hastening the processes for its various stakeholders, the move will also create a transparent financial reporting. And by ensuring complete digitisation of NIMASA processing, stakeholders will, for instance, be able to register their vessels and all other transactions with NIMASA with a click of a button on their computers. Measures have also been put in place to ensure that the security of such on-line transactions being encouraged by this administration is not compromised.

    It is noteworthy that activities like this buoy the country’s maritime image. Hence, despite being out of the IMO Council for over 50 years, under Peterside’s leadership, Nigeria is repositioning itself in international maritime politics. And in April NIMASA will host African maritime administrators in Abuja for the third Association of African Maritime Administration (AAMA) Conference. The Peterside-led management, having received a presidential nod, will vie for election into category C of the IMO Council.

    As Peterside marks one year in office this month, NIMASA has made impressive progress towards rebranding. A repositioned NIMASA is expected to feature strongly at the AAMA event. It is to Peterside’s credit that the agency’s much-needed repositioning was conceptualised and executed during his tenure.

  • Buhari, NIMASA and change

    Buhari, NIMASA and change

    When President Muhammadu Buhari took the mantle of leadership of our dear country in 2015, it was clear that the ‘change’ movement that birthed the new dispensation would have to be tested and trusted to live up to its expectation. It was against this backdrop that all the systems of government swung into action producing leaders in many capacities and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) was one of such beneficiaries.

    As a regulatory and enforcement agency, we are committed to ensuring that we accomplish our core mandate in a way that serves the best interest of all Nigerians within a dynamic and complex economic environment. We are also committed to ensuring that the maritime environment is conducive for more Nigerians to come on board.

    In order to achieve this target, we have committed the past 12 months in setting our priorities right.

    About a year ago when we assumed office, we discovered that the agency was still struggling with the framework of the two federal parastatals that had been merged to form NIMASA.  This conflict of identity was inevitable, as the two previous bodies had been separate entities with peculiar objectives, business processes and operational complexities. To merge them, though imperative, required a sustainable process for management of results and expectations.

    To achieve this, we set about what we christened the 3R model, which is to Reform, Restructure and Reposition, the agency for the new roles and responsibilities within our core mandate.

    We developed a strategic document which has Short, Medium and Long term components to serve as our road map. This document has been approved by our Board of Directors. Within our first year in office, management ensured the promotion of staff, particularly those into management cadre. This was a legacy achievement because this type of promotion had only happened once, in 2007, close to a decade ago.

    We have injected a completely new work ethic and energy in the agency by creating a SMART vision, mission statement and core values. We have also introduced knowledge transfer sessions to improve on internal capacity at minimal cost.

    One major part of our reforms at NIMASA have also been the restructuring of the Agencies operation, leading to devolution of powers to the zonal offices. This is to remove avoidable bureaucratic bottlenecks while reducing time for business transactions with the Agency. This is a work in progress and we are optimistic that the decentralisation will be amplified I the next 90 days.

    The Regional Search And Rescue Committee which is made up of  nine member countries under the Nigerian SAR Region, namely; Nigeria, Benin, Cameroon, Congo, D.R. Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Sao Tome & Principe and Togo was dormant. They never met to discuss modalities of collaboration for almost a decade. However, since this new management came on board, the Agency has successfully hosted two Sub-Regional Technical Committee meetings to build a formidable regional network. The Regional network has increased our level of alertness, thus improving our capacity to respond to distress calls, which has ultimately led to a considerable reduction in the cases of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea. Our quest to achieve a safer maritime domain has seen us working on an Anti-Piracy Bill.

    We have received the President’s backing to acquire assets that will be deployed at strategic locations, thus enhancing our ability to improve the safety of vessels within our maritime domain.

    Having realised the need to enhance the safety of boat users in Nigeria, we have secured the approval of the Honourable Minister of Transportation to increase the number of Search and Rescue Marshalls from 100 to 1000.

    We have intensified the Agencies drive to ensure strict compliance with the provisions of the ISPS Code. The result is that Nigeria now has a compliance rate of almost 80% as 114 Port facilities out of the total 145 ports in Nigeria are now fully ISPS compliant. Let’s not forget that NIMASA was only appointed the Designated Authority for the implementation of ISPS Code in Nigeria barely 5 years ago when compliance level was barely 13%.

    Though 8% of the remaining 31 Port Facilities are currently pursuing compliance, our goal is to target a 100% compliance level within the next twelve months. Our efforts have attracted commendation from the United States Coast Guard team that visited Nigeria earlier this year.

    The International Maritime Organization (IMO) Member State Audit Scheme (IMSAS) is an exercise designed by the IMO to assess the degree to which Member States are meeting their obligations and responsibilities as Flag, Port and Coastal States under the relevant IMO instruments.  As a major step towards attaining a more effective global implementation of its Conventions, the IMO Assembly in December 2013 made the Member State Audit Scheme mandatory.

    The audit of Nigeria was successfully conducted by IMO in June, 2016.

    NIMASA now operates a 24-hour surveillance system, which captures all vessels in the Nigerian maritime domain irrespective of weather conditions. We can now achieve a complete profile analysis, which includes the Flag, Registered owner, Operator, Beneficial owner and movements over a specified period. This system enables us to take very swift decisions, in real time, on any targeted ship. Currently, all offshore areas of interest have been electronically cordoned off with a guard zone via our surveillance system and we can at once view live feed (activities) especially in the oil fields and on crude oil platforms.

    The system has not only greatly increased our capacity to block revenue leaks but has increased our revenue as all vessels coming into Nigeria are now captured and analysed for billing.

    Furthermore, the current administration has been able to integrate surveillance data with billing control information thereby driving our desire for the agency’s Billing System to be fully automated. This new innovation encourages seamless operations and has helped reduce billing operational time by two-thirds; from a whooping 72hrs down to 24hrs while keeping our eyes the target timeline of 6hrs billing.

    Within the last one year, NIMASA has commenced the billing of Pipelines, Oil Rigs and FPSOs.

    Our findings reveal a very low indigenous participation in international commercial shipping trade in Nigeria. As far-fetched as it sounds, there are no Nigerian Flagged Ocean-going vessels known to us.

    In the course of our review also, we observed the salience of cargo availability to the commercial fortunes of a shipowner/operator and to our national tonnage growth. We noted also that commercial shipping will less likely develop without conscious, proactive, well structured and monitored government intervention as is done in other sectors.

    One area of such intervention urgently needed is cargo availability.

    Developed maritime nations have at one time or the other consciously supported, and are still supporting, their indigenous operators in building their commercial shipping capacities. Recently, a bipartisan bill was brought before the US Congress aimed at strengthening indigenous participation in shipping. The Bill seeks to allow US flagged vessels carry up to 30% of the US LNG as a matter of both economic importance and security concerns.

    One major factor that edges Nigerians out crude oil lifting is the prevalent Free On Board trade term. Nigeria has no control in the distribution of its crude oil with respect to carriage, insurance and other ancillary services. Under a Cost Insurance and Freight (CIF) arrangement, the tide would change in favour of our indigenous operators. Therefore, we are joining forces with well meaning Nigerians to move for the change of trade term from FOB to CIF to reasonably involve our indigenous operators in Nigerian cargo affreightment. This will not only give distribution control of our hydrocarbon resources to Nigeria but will also enable us empower our people through cargo lifting and meaningful participation in the entire value chain of our export goods. As you are aware, CIF will enable Nigerians participate in cargo lifting, cargo insurance, create job for our teeming cadets and other ancillary economic and security derivatives. The plans are on top gear to reach out to relevant Agencies of government and very soon we shall do an executive memorandum to the Federal Executive Council for consideration and approval.

    It is erroneous to say that Nigeria has not made progress with the Cabotage regime. A lot of progress has been made. Before the Cabotage regime came into being, less than 12% of Nigerians were onboard vessels operating in Nigerian waters, today, the figures have changed significantly as over  60%  of workers onboard vessels operating under the Cabotage regime  are now Nigerians. It may also interest you to note that before 2003, less than 3% of vessels operating on our waters were flagged Nigerian. However, today, we have over 60% vessels doing business in Nigerian waters flying the Nigerian Flag. Another good news about the Cabotage regime is the fact that we have been able to achieve 20% in building Cabotage vessels from a completely foreign dominated era. Our aim is to target 100% Cabotage compliance in the nearest future. The issues militating against the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund is being addressed to make it operational and accessible.

    The Nigerian Flag has also enjoyed significant growth within the past twelve months.  While 262 vessels with a total tonnage of slightly over 232,000 GRT were registered in 2015, the figures almost doubled in 2016 as 370 vessels with a total tonnage of almost 420,000 GRT were registered within the past 12 months.

    NIMASA will soon take delivery of the 5th largest modular floating dockyard on the African continent, which will save the Federal Government of Nigeria, at least $100 million annually.

    • Abridged version of a speech delivered by Dr. Peterside, NIMASA director-general , at a forum in Ikeja, Lagos yesterday.
  • NIMASA: Getting out of the water

    NIMASA: Getting out of the water

    If a list of government agencies that have failed to realise their full potential over the years is drawn up, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) will easily top the list. No sector has been bogged down with corruption and incompetence as the maritime sector.
    In 2015 when the economy started showing some serious signs of depression and government officials shied away from calling it recession, Olisa Agbakoba, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), a long-time player in the maritime sector, alerted the authorities  to the potential of the sector as an alternative to oil. Agbakoba said, in an interview, that Nigeria could generate as high as N7 trillion annually from the maritime sector if the right things were done.
    He lamented that the sector was not managed as a revenue earner. He spoke with the conviction of an expert. It was as if government was more interested in political patronage than in good governance.
    But luckily enough, one man listened to him. The man was the former Governorship Candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and now the Director General of NIMASA, Dr Dakuku Peterside.
    Since assuming office, Peterside, a former lawmaker, has left no one in doubt as to his determination to ensure NIMASA achieves its full potential as a major revenue earner for the country.  When he led a delegation of NIMASA to the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Col. Hameed Ali (retd), he did not mince words about his vision for the agency.
    He told Ali that the Nigeria Customs and NIMASA were both revenue- earning agencies of government now working to accomplish the purpose of facilitating trade to Nigeria and ensuring that those doing business with the country did not take undue advantage of her. It speaks so much of the vision of this man that he is committing himself and the agency he heads to the service of the country.
    Although a politician, Peterside is not running NIMASA as his predecessors did. He appears to have placed a premium on professionalism, integrity, transparency and President Muhammadu Buhari’s plan to diversify the economy and get it quickly out of the current recession. Since coming on board, the present management of NIMASA adopted a Medium-Term Strategic Plan which has aided steps towards repositioning the agency for better service delivery.
    In the words of Peterside:  ”Our principal mandate is to restructure, reposition, reorganise and reform NIMASA and make it a foremost Maritime Administration in Africa because we have no reason not to be number one in Africa. Of every 100 cargo heading to Africa, 65 would come to Nigeria and in this regard we must ensure that our maritime sector remains vibrant.”
    Recently when Abdulwaheed Odusile, President of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) led a delegation to his office in Lagos, Peterside used the occasion to call on journalists to support the Buhari administration’s fight against corruption and its vision for the diversification of the economy.
    One of the memorable things he told the NUJ delegation was : “The ocean is a resource a country can leverage on to grow its economy and blessed with a coastline of about 853km and 250 nautical mile Exclusive Economic zone, we must begin to take advantage of the maritime opportunities available to us to grow our economy.”
    But to realise this objective, NIMASA must ensure adequate provision of basic infrastructure that could help unlock the vast potential of the Nigerian maritime industry. But government, whose revenue has been on the downturn, cannot be wholly depended upon to provide all the funds for infrastructural development. This is why Peterside’s NIMASA has embraced Public- Private -Partnership model (PPP) for the provision of infrastructure. NIMASA is partnering with the Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission (ICRC) to make this happen.
    Given Nigeria’s strategic location, population and volume of trade in the African region, all the country needs to become a major hub of maritime activities is strategic investment in infrastructure in the maritime industry, which should be championed through a PPP model. Peterside seems keenly aware of this. He said during a meeting with ICRC: “The PPP model will be able to address infrastructure deficit as well as optimise local-content development. Partnership with the private sector also has the potential to enhance human capital development and active government participation in a private sector driven economy.”
    Looking beyond budgetary resources for the delivery of infrastructure in the country, especially in the maritime sector, is not only imperative but cost-effective. This is the model that is being embraced the world over, and Nigeria cannot be an exception, especially if we desire rapid economic progress. In a country where the wheel of government grinds slowly, PPP is a sure bet for quick transformation.
    NIMASA under Peterside has focused on its core mandate through various collaborative efforts geared towards the development of the sector and, by extension, the Nigerian economy. These include delivering excellent service in the areas of maritime safety, making the maritime domain safe and navigable, providing adequate supervision for the marine environmental management, and averting and reducing pollution at sea.
    It has also focused on meeting relevant International Maritime Organization (IMO) mandate as well as helping to grow indigenous shipping, and carrying out port and flag state responsibilities.
    Such collaborative efforts include working with relevant professional groups to take advantage of their expertise and annex for a quick turnaround of the maritime sector. The new maritime administration is desirous of keeping pace with modern practice where skilled professionals are utilised to ensure efficient regulation of the sector.
    Nigerian youths in the maritime sector are now in line to earn foreign exchange as NIMASA has made provisions for the beneficiaries of the Nigerian Seafarers’ Development Programme (NSDP) to obtain their Certificate of Competence (CoC) by undergoing requisite sea-time training to qualify them for global shipping. This supports his assertion that a country could have ships and other assets, but its greatest asset in the maritime industry is manpower because it is the manpower that drives the industry.
    Peterside has also expressed support for the establishment of the Maritime University at Okerenkoko, in Warri South West Area of Delta State. He said the university would help as a citadel of knowledge and development of human capital. But it will also create job opportunities for the Nigerian people, particularly for people in the Niger Delta.
    He has also commenced the process to establish partnership with the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) to develop human capacity in the maritime sector.  Peterside has repeatedly expressed his determination to grow local capacity in the maritime sector, and that is why he has called on universities in the country to include maritime-related courses in their curriculum. This will not just help grow the economy but will expand the job potential of Nigerian youths since maritime is a global business with vast opportunities.
    If NIMASA under Peterside succeeds in getting out of the water to take its rightful place in the economy, Nigeria may well be on the path to El Dorado.

    •Suleiman wrote in from Abuja