Supplement
There is no doubt the fact that Shipping trajectory in Nigeria up to the Gulf of Guinea region has improved, with records of decline in piracy attacks, resulting in exponential growth in shipping activities. This is essentially due to some strategic programmes deployed, along with other multinational and multilateral partnerships entered into by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) reports TIMOTHY OKOROCHA
Introduction: Nigeria up to the Gulf of Guinea region had been unfortunately wrecked by criminality for decades. For instance, the waters off West Africa are plagued by piracy, sea robbery, crude oil theft and kidnap for ransom, as well as other crimes. The region over time became very coveted for piracy attacks because it was not adequately monitored and consequently.
In international trade what determines the cost of shipment is the level of peace in the country and continent involved in every transaction. If conference liners decide to take the risk to ship goods to a country under security challenges, the shippers must be ready to bear the cost. The liners are big time multinational shipowners involved in affreightment to any part of the continent. For countries under war or high security risk, shipowners impose war risk surcharge, which could be triple of what should be the normal charge.
Nigeria is one of the countries where war risk surcharge is imposed on shippers for close to a decade now. The reason is the security menace on the nation’s territorial waters in the name of armed robbery and piracy. The liners are first confronted by the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) piracy before arriving the Nigerian waters where they do not feel completely safe for the same issue. The pirates’ attack was at a stage an embarrassment to the country as the liners took a decision to have a contingent of armed guards on board ships during voyage to Nigeria for security reasons. In doing so, they passed the cost to the Nigerian shippers who also passed the cost to the final consumers of trade goods.
Score card: It is also a statement of fact that shipping activities in the region have witnessed a major boost, especially in the most recent past. These positive developments obviously could not have come by happenstance, but rather due to deliberate and carefully designed strategies and action plans adopted by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency NIMASA, the country’s Maritime Administration. This is given that the region was before now wracked by all manner of criminalities.
Specifically, one of these strategies is the decision of the current management of the agency led by Dr. Bashir Jamoh to institutionalise partnerships and collaborations among stakeholders both within and outside the country, through which it has achieved major milestones in boosting shipping activities in the region. Notable among these partnerships is midwifing the creation of the Gulf of Guinea Maritime Collaboration Forum/ Shared Awareness and De-confliction GOG-MCF/SHADE. Nigeria, with the support of the Inter Regional Coordination Centre ICC Yaoundé is the brain behind this forum, which also has the support and backing of the G7++Group of Friends of the Gulf of Guinea (G7++FOGG). This singular strategy, has not only brought about cohesion among member states of the Gulf of Guinea, it has also led to positive outcomes engendered by information sharing among regional and non-regional military forces. This has, among several other benefits led to a more secure maritime space within the Gulf of Guinea region.
Assets’ Acquisition: Some of the assets acquired under the Deep Blue Project, which were deployed to help curb piracy and other maritime crimes in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea region at large.
On the home front, the coming on stream of the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure also called the Deep Blue Project, which facilitated the acquisition of critical maritime security assets and the training of manpower was a collaborative effort of the agency and the Federal Ministry of Transport on the one hand and the nation’s armed forces, especially the Nigerian Navy on the other hand.
Determined to fight pirate attacks on Nigerian waters, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), has received in 2021 a Special Mission Aircraft, as part of the final phase of the delivery and installation of assets under the Deep Blue Project.
Bashir Jamoh, director-general of the NIMASA, received the aircraft, together with Timipre Sylva, minister of state for Petroleum Resources, Chudi Offodile, executive director, Finance and Administration of NIMASA. Jamoh, who had earlier inspected three Special Mission Helicopters at the Naval Base, Apapa, under the project billed for launch on May 21, said the assets would further, improve security on Nigerian waters.
He stated that there would be a drastic reduction in the rate of attacks in the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) with the deployment of the Deep Blue Project assets, saying the goal is to eliminate entirely such incidents.
“The figures we are getting from the International Maritime Bureau (IMB), a division of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) that is specialised in the fight against maritime crimes and malpractices, are encouraging. We aim to completely eradicate security hindrances to shipping and business generally in the Nigerian maritime domain,” he said.
The Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure, popularly called the Deep Blue Project, is designed with three categories of platforms to tackle maritime security issues on land, sea, and air.
The land assets comprise the Command, Control, Communication, Computer, and Intelligence Centre (C4i) for intelligence gathering and data collection; 16 armoured vehicles for coastal patrol; and about 600 specially trained troops for interdiction, known as Maritime Security Unit.
On air, there are two Special Mission Aircraft for surveillance of the EEZ, one of which was received on Wednesday, with the second expected to arrive May 18; three Special Mission Helicopters for search and rescue; and four Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. The sea assets consist of two Special Mission Vessels and 17 Fast Interceptor Boats
Partnerships with other arms of Government/Multilateral Agencies
Prior to this project, the agency also partnered other arms of the government, especially the National Assembly and the Judiciary, which led to the enactment of the Suppression of Piracy and other Maritime Offences Act SPOMO Act, 2019, which makes the country the first in Africa to have a stand- alone anti-piracy law that has also facilitated the prosecution and conviction of pirates in the country.
President Muhammadu Buhari officially launched the assets under the project in May 2021, some of which had been deployed since February 2020 to combat piracy on land, air and sea within the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone EEZ.
Little wonder there has been a drastic reduction in incidences of piracy and other maritime crimes within the region as reported by the Malaysia-based International Maritime Bureau IMB. For instance, available statistics by the IMB show that incidences of piracy, sea robbery and other related maritime crimes not only in the country but also across the entire Gulf of Guinea region have recorded a 28-year low.
We will deploy 24-hour survillance against pipeline vandalisation & oil theft – Jamoh
These figures indicate that the Gulf of Guinea region, Nigeria inclusive has not recorded this level of decline in piracy and other maritime crimes since 1994. The IMB report shows a drastic reduction of over 81 per cent in the number of piracy attacks in the Gulf of Guinea, including Nigeria for the second quarter of 2021. It also reported an 80 per cent reduction in the number of cases of kidnap in the region within the review period.
Details of the report show that while 33 incidents of piracy were reported in the last quarter of 2020, only six cases were reported in the second quarter of 2021, indicating a reduction by 27, representing an 81.8 per cent decline. The number of kidnapped crew in the region also declined from 50 in the last quarter of 2020 to 10 in the second quarter of 2021, which represents an 80 per cent decline.
NIMASA has also been networking with international bodies such as INTERTANKO and INTERCARGO to ensure security in the Gulf of Guinea, with the Yaoundé-based International Coordination Centre (ICC) also playing a central role.
Jamoh urged stakeholders to always contact the Command, Control, Computer Communication and intelligence (C4i) centre located at the NIMASA-owned Nigerian Maritime Resource Development Centre (NMRDC), Kirikiri, Lagos, for necessary actions under the Suppression of Piracy and other Maritime Offences (SPOMO) Act.
Decline in piracy attacks: Determined to sustain the successes recorded in the fight against piracy on Nigerian waters, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), perfected plans to draft the National Maritime Security Strategy (NMSS).
Bashir Jamoh, Director-General of NIMASA, who inaugurated the Expert Level Planning Team (ELPT) that would be trained as Maritime Security Professionals, who would drive the strategy, commended the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) for assigning facilitators to assist the country technically in this regards. According to him, maritime security will always be of priority concern to NIMASA due to its position as the bedrock and guarantee of every meaningful shipping enterprise.
The NIMASA DG said the strategy would become the culmination of all the various efforts, initiatives, and partnerships, which NIMASA started out under its ‘Triple S’ of Maritime Security, Safety, and Shipping Development upon his assumption of office in March 2020.
“There is no doubt that maritime security is the bedrock and guarantee of every meaningful shipping enterprise. From the crew to cargo to carrier to the coast and quayside, there must be security to drive the shipping business. We want to sustain the current successes recorded in ensuring maritime security within the nation’s maritime domain and the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) as a whole,” he said.
Jamoh said the GoG region is experiencing an unprecedented decline in piracy incidents over the past three decades, which the International Maritime Bureau recently confirmed in its latest report. He attributed the feat to the concerted efforts of NIMASA in collaboration with other relevant government bodies such as the Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Police Force, Nigerian Army, the Department of State Security (DSS), and other state and non-state actors.
According to him, it is the Agency’s responsibility to protect ships, seafarers, shipload, merchandise, ports, and all other assets in Nigeria’s maritime domain as mandated by the NIMASA Act, ISPS Code Implementation Regulations (2014) and, the Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences (SPOMO) Act.
The Expert Learning Planning Team is to develop a blueprint of the National Maritime Security Strategy (NMSS) that would serve as the basis for the determination of the members of the cross-government Working Group that will execute the drafting process. It is undisputable that the spate of piracy attacks has reduced drastically in the Gulf of guinea, thereby triggering shipping activities in the region.
Speaking on the achievement of these milestones albeit within a short time of deploying maritime security assets, Director General of NIMASA, Dr Bashir Jamoh attributed this sharp drop to a combination of factors, including collaborations and efforts of the agency, the Nigerian Navy, the international navies, the European Union and many other countries of the world.
“If you ask me, the sharp decline in the level of piracy attacks in the Gulf of Guinea is as a result of concerted global efforts. Recently, Korea donated a military ship to us. I hear Japan is also planning to donate a similar equipment to us.
“So it is not only the efforts of the 25-member nations of the Gulf of Guinea that brought about the decline in the level of piracy and maritime crimes in the region, rather it is as a result of efforts across the globe. The deployment of the Deep Blue Project assets definitely played a significant role”, he said.
The agency is not resting on its oars even with this level of success achieved. Only recently, Nigeria through NIMASA signed a new Memorandum of Understanding MoU with the Republic of Korea on maritime safety and security. This MoU provides a framework for NIMASA and the Korean Coast Guard to develop, coordinate and monitor the implementation of maritime security and safety between both organisations.
The MoU, which is for an initial period of five years and will be automatically renewed for another five years unless any of the parties withdraws six months before the expiration, covers capacity building, information sharing, search and rescue liaison and establishment of hotlines for direct communication at all times.
While Dr. Jamoh signed on behalf of the Federal Government, the Director General, International Affairs and Intelligence Bureau, Korean Coast Guard, Seonggi Kang signed on behalf of Korea. Speaking during the signing ceremony in Lagos recently, NIMASA DG, said the MoU will be implemented in the best interest of both countries, adding that it will ultimately enhance safety and security in the Gulf of Guinea.
“The relationship between Nigeria and Korea spans many decades. This MoU, which started with a statement of intent in 2018 is designed to reinforce the commitment of both countries to grow bilateral trade through maritime”, Jamoh said.
Launch of the Deep Blue Project:
For over a decade, piracy had been like an albatross on the neck of shippers in Nigeria and West Africa. This had given Nigeria and indeed other West African countries a bad image. Beyond that was the cost implication to shippers as they had to pay more in shipping charges to cover the cost of security being claimed by multinational ship owners who hired security onboard vessels to secure shipment to the region.
During the launch of the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure also called the Deep Blue Project, in Lagos, on June 10, 2021, President Muhammadu Buhari had declared that with the project, Nigeria had better capability to control its maritime domain. The President said the maritime security project offered a standard for other Gulf of Guinea countries in terms of strategy and collaboration.
Mr. President expressed the hope that the Deep Blue Project, which is being executed by NIMASA would address maritime crimes, including kidnap for ransom by pirates.
With the recent launch of the Deep Blue Project otherwise called the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure, Nigeria is certainly more prepared to wage war against piracy and other related maritime crimes on the nation’s territorial waters and the Gulf of Guinea (GoG).
The project aims at addressing decades of piracy and other maritime crimes, which had given the country a bad image. Aside from that, these crimes had also led to Nigerian shippers being surcharged by multinational shipping lines bringing goods into the country.
Expressing confidence that the project, which provides robust maritime security architecture, would enhance maritime domain awareness capability and improve law enforcement action, Buhari further described it as an important step in the continuing shift in strategic action about regional maritime security.
Improving Staff capacity remains a priority
“It will serve as a benchmark for member states in the Gulf of Guinea and other relevant stakeholders to further develop innovative strategies and align efforts with the subsisting framework to improve maritime security in the region,” the President added.
A year and eight months after the launch of the project, the scorecard of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) in the area of the war against piracy has continued to impress key industry observers.
The launch of the Deep Blue Project has however, consequently, paved the way for the agency to acquire a number of equipment, including two unmanned aircraft systems, nine interceptor patrol boats and 10 armoured vehicles, which have been effectively deployed to curb armed robbery on sea. The effort has no doubt paid off as shippers now pay less even as ship owners are not more disposed to moving consignments to the country.
To consolidate on the achievement, NIMASA had last year hosted the fifth plenary of the Gulf of Guinea Maritime Collaboration Forum for the Shared Awareness and Deconfliction (GOG-MCF/SHADE). Speaking at the event, which was held in Abuja from May 10-11, 2022, the Director General of the agency, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, sought for international support for the suppression of maritime insecurity. He had also restated Nigeria’s commitment to fight piracy.
His words: “Nigeria is improving on her capacity to fight maritime crime by procuring state of the art technology, upgrading human capacity for effective service delivery and deployment of the assets for round the clock patrol, interdiction and reconnaissance with the support of Nigerian Navy and other security agencies we signed MoU.
“Indeed we are further encouraged by President Muhammadu Buhari’s support all the time to ensure adequate security of crew members, vessels and cargoes within and around our waters.
“These newly procured assets would assist us in building on the gains already recorded in the fight against piracy, sea robbery, oil theft, kidnapping, illegal fishing activities and others.”
Buhari said: “I am confident that the project, which provides a robust maritime security architecture, will enhance maritime domain awareness capability and improve law enforcement action, particularly in the prosecution of suspects under the Suppression of Piracy and other Maritime Offences Act which I signed into law in June 2019.
“This Flag-off is an important step in the continuing shift in strategic action about regional maritime security. It will serve as a benchmark for member states in the Gulf of Guinea and other relevant stakeholders to further develop innovative strategies and align efforts with the subsisting framework to improve maritime security in the region.
“With shipping accounting for over 80 per cent of transport requirements of the global economy, concerted efforts and innovative actions are required to address attendant security challenges. Therefore, the flag-off of the project marks an important milestone in this regard and in our collective effort to tackle security challenges in the form of piracy and other maritime crimes in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea. It is also a demonstration of government’s strong commitment to ensuring security. This intervention, no doubt, will facilitate a conducive environment for the maritime sector to thrive and contribute to the diversification of the Nigerian economy.”
The assets for the Deep Blue project, as identified during the launch, were two Special Mission Aircrafts for surveillance of the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), three Special Mission Helicopters for search and rescue and four Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.
The sea assets included two Special Mission Vessels and 17 Fast Interceptor Boats. Other infrastructure were the Command, Control, Communication, Computer, and Intelligence Centre (C4i) for intelligence gathering and data collection for land operations; 16 armoured vehicles for coastal patrol and about 600 specially trained troops for interdiction, known as Maritime Security Unit. Two vessels for the operation were named as Deep Blue Abuja (DB-Abuja) and Deep Blue Lagos (DB-Lagos).
To many industry experts, the project reinforces the Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences SPOMO Bill 2019 signed into law by President Buhari two years ago, which was also targeted at checking piracy in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea.
According to the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, the new security approach was being adopted to tackle security challenges encumbering the shipping business in the country.
“We are deploying high-tech assets under the Deep Blue Project to not only deal with piracy and armed robbery in our territorial waters frontally, but also respond to the increasing sophistication of these maritime crimes.
“The Nigerian Navy and NIMASA are partnering to ensure a high level of security in our waters. We are tying up all loose ends and very soon everything would become manifest and clear to stakeholders and operators,” he said.
Jamoh, who spoke in response to security concerns raised by the Shipping Association of Nigeria (SAN) following the cancellation of the Secure Anchorage Area (SAA) contract by President Buhari and the transfer of the responsibility for the area’s protection to NIMASA and the Nigerian Navy, said there was no security vacuum in Nigerian waters.
“I can assure you that there is no security vacuum in our waters. From what I know, the SAA is more protected than ever before. The Nigerian Navy has recently deployed 14 warships to enhance security in the area and the wider maritime domain. Other assets, including Special Mission Vessels, interceptor boats and Special Mission Aircraft, are also being deployed under the Deep Blue Project.
“Besides, there is an emergency mobile line for any vessel in distress in our waters, +2348030685167, and the NIMASA emergency response room can be reached on Channel 16 of the Very High Frequency (VHF) radio channel,” Jamoh said, adding:
“The menace of maritime insecurity is an age-long challenge in the industry and government is doing its best within the available resources to address the issues, with continuous patrols by dedicated vessels to the Secure Anchorage Area. We appeal for a healthy working relationship and further deliberations are welcome.”
He disclosed that NIMASA was networking with international bodies such as INTERTANKO and INTERCARGO to ensure security in the Gulf of Guinea, with the Yaoundé-based International Coordination Centre (ICC) also playing a central role.
Jamoh urged stakeholders to always contact the Command, Control, Computer Communication and intelligence (C4i) centre located at the NIMASA-owned Nigerian Maritime Resource Development Centre (NMRDC), Kirikiri, Lagos, for necessary actions under the Suppression of Piracy and other Maritime Offences (SPOMO) Act.
During the graduation ceremony of officers trained to crew the Special Mission Vessels, the main maritime component of the project, recently, Jamoh reiterated that assets deployed under the project were manned by proficient officers from the Nigerian security services.
The Director General, who was represented by the agency’s Executive Director, Operations, Mr. Shehu Ahmed, said the graduation of 30 officers trained in various parts of the globe marked a significant addition to the team of competent personnel manning assets under the maritime security scheme.
His words: “This event is remarkable. It guarantees us competent manpower required to man the Special Mission Vessels. It is a further indication of our commitment to bequeathing a crime free maritime domain to Nigerians and the global maritime community.
“Early in the year and in line with a Presidential directive, we deployed the Special Mission Vessels and the Fast Interceptor Boats to the Lagos Port Secure Anchorage Area. But the event of today takes us further to the full deployment of the two Special Mission Vessels with fully trained and certified crew.”
Since 2021, NIMASA has taken giant steps towards realizing the Blue Economy Project. The agency had visited littoral states as part of its efforts in pursuing the blue economy strategy expected to replace the current oil economy in about 10 years.
During a visit to Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, Jamoh had urged littoral states to collaborate with the agency by setting up a committee to work with it to identify their areas of comparative advantage in harnessing their vast ocean resources.
“The agency commenced the issue of Blue Economy Project to ensure that we have something that we will fall back on. Let us give ourselves at least within the next 10 years, so we can develop our ocean resources,” he said.
Surveillance against pipeline vandalism and oil theft in the nation.
The NIMASA CEO, has assured of the agency preparedness to deploy a 24-hour surveillance against pipeline vandalism and oil theft in the nation. Speaking at the just concluded 16th International Maritime Seminar for Judges in Abuja, Dr. Jamoh, noted that NIMASA is having discussions with the Nigerian Navy on the issue of suppressing oil theft in Nigeria.
NIMASA boasts of cutting edge equipment
He added that with the agency’s two Special Mission Aircrafts of the Deep Blue Project, oil pipelines can be effectively monitored as he assured that before the end of July,
According to him, “ NIMASA will expand the operations of the Deep Blue Project for round-the-clock surveillance of the pipelines in order to ensure that there is no leakage or any form of oil theft”.
He continued, “NIMASA is having discussions with a Nigerian Navy on the issue of suppressing oil theft. About one and half months ago, the Nigerian Navy destroyed quite a number of illegal refineries in the Niger Delta region and this is ongoing in the south-south region.
“On the part of NIMASA, we have two special mission aircraft and three special mission helicopters. The two special mission aircraft have the capacity of viewing whatever happens within the pipeline.
We are now expanding the operations of the Deep Blue project for a 24/7 surveillance of the pipelines to ensure that there are no leakages on these pipelines. I think before the end of this month, this operation will commence and we are going to be doing it jointly with the Nigerian Navy.
“As soon as we discover any lapses, we will draw the attention of the Nigerian Navy for intervention”, Jamoh concluded.
Training And Retraining of staff: Capacity building is another area the NIMASA has demonstrated peerless leadership.
NIMASA has quite been introducing many initiatives to improve the capacity of staff. The agency has trained so many cadets overseas, notwithstanding myriads of challenges. Early in the year, the agency renewed its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the World Maritime University (WMU), Malmo, Sweden, in a bid to enhance capacity building in the maritime sector.
Jamoh had explained during the signing of the MoU that “the collaboration with the WMU by NIMASA is to advance maritime interest while addressing the changing needs of the maritime industry based on sustainable capacity development as education, training and capacity building play a major role in developing shipping in any nation.”
He added that “graduates from the WMU who are in the employ of the agency will serve as researchers and resource persons, sharing knowledge and hopefully develop a research based sustainable framework to provide solutions to issues of insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea.”
Under the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP), records show that from inception to 2020, the programme has enrolled 2,041 students.
According to Jamoh, “892 are now licensed deck and engine officers including naval architects; the rest are in their final stage of the programme. About 486 of the graduates are now gainfully employed and sailing in both coastal and ocean-going Vessels”
Deep Blue Project to not only deal with piracy and armed robbery in our territorial waters frontally, but also respond to the increasing sophistication of these maritime crimes.
“The Nigerian Navy and NIMASA are partnering to ensure a high level of security in our waters. We are tying up all loose ends and very soon everything would become manifest and clear to stakeholders and operators,” he said.
Jamoh, who spoke in response to security concerns raised by the Shipping Association of Nigeria (SAN) following the cancellation of the Secure Anchorage Area (SAA) contract by President Buhari and the transfer of the responsibility for the area’s protection to NIMASA and the Nigerian Navy, said there was no security vacuum in Nigerian waters.
“I can assure you that there is no security vacuum in our waters. From what I know, the SAA is more protected than ever before. The Nigerian Navy has recently deployed 14 warships to enhance security in the area and the wider maritime domain. Other assets, including Special Mission Vessels, interceptor boats and Special Mission Aircraft, are also being deployed under the Deep Blue Project.
“Besides, there is an emergency mobile line for any vessel in distress in our waters, +2348030685167, and the NIMASA emergency response room can be reached on Channel 16 of the Very High Frequency (VHF) radio channel,” Jamoh said, adding:
“The menace of maritime insecurity is an age-long challenge in the industry and government is doing its best within the available resources to address the issues, with continuous patrols by dedicated vessels to the Secure Anchorage Area. We appeal for a healthy working relationship and further deliberations are welcome.”
He disclosed that NIMASA was networking with international bodies such as INTERTANKO and INTERCARGO to ensure security in the Gulf of Guinea, with the Yaoundé-based International Coordination Centre (ICC) also playing a central role.
Jamoh urged stakeholders to always contact the Command, Control, Computer Communication and intelligence (C4i) centre located at the NIMASA-owned Nigerian Maritime Resource Development Centre (NMRDC), Kirikiri, Lagos, for necessary actions under the Suppression of Piracy and other Maritime Offences (SPOMO) Act.
During the graduation ceremony of officers trained to crew the Special Mission Vessels, the main maritime component of the project, recently, Jamoh reiterated that assets deployed under the project were manned by proficient officers from the Nigerian security services.
The Director General, who was represented by the agency’s Executive Director, Operations, Mr. Shehu Ahmed, said the graduation of 30 officers trained in various parts of the globe marked a significant addition to the team of competent personnel manning assets under the maritime security scheme.
His words: “This event is remarkable. It guarantees us competent manpower required to man the Special Mission Vessels. It is a further indication of our commitment to bequeathing a crime free maritime domain to Nigerians and the global maritime community.
“Early in the year and in line with a Presidential directive, we deployed the Special Mission Vessels and the Fast Interceptor Boats to the Lagos Port Secure Anchorage Area. But the event of today takes us further to the full deployment of the two Special Mission Vessels with fully trained and certified crew.”
Since 2021, NIMASA has taken giant steps towards realizing the Blue Economy Project. The agency had visited littoral states as part of its efforts in pursuing the blue economy strategy expected to replace the current oil economy in about 10 years.
During a visit to Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, Jamoh had urged littoral states to collaborate with the agency by setting up a committee to work with it to identify their areas of comparative advantage in harnessing their vast ocean resources.
“The agency commenced the issue of Blue Economy Project to ensure that we have something that we will fall back on. Let us give ourselves at least within the next 10 years, so we can develop our ocean resources,” he said.
Surveillance against pipeline vandalism and oil theft in the nation.
The NIMASA CEO, has assured of the agency preparedness to deploy a 24-hour surveillance against pipeline vandalism and oil theft in the nation. Speaking at the just concluded 16th International Maritime Seminar for Judges in Abuja, Dr. Jamoh, noted that NIMASA is having discussions with the Nigerian Navy on the issue of suppressing oil theft in Nigeria.
He added that with the agency’s two Special Mission Aircrafts of the Deep Blue Project, oil pipelines can be effectively monitored as he assured that before the end of July. According to him, “ NIMASA will expand the operations of the Deep Blue Project for round-the-clock surveillance of the pipelines in order to ensure that there is no leakage or any form of oil theft”.
He continued, “NIMASA is having discussions with a Nigerian Navy on the issue of suppressing oil theft. About one and half months ago, the Nigerian Navy destroyed quite a number of illegal refineries in the Niger Delta region and this is ongoing in the south-south region.
“On the part of NIMASA, we have two special mission aircraft and three special mission helicopters. The two special mission aircraft have the capacity of viewing whatever happens within the pipeline.
We are now expanding the operations of the Deep Blue project for a 24/7 surveillance of the pipelines to ensure that there are no leakages on these pipelines. I think before the end of this month, this operation will commence and we are going to be doing it jointly with the Nigerian Navy.
“As soon as we discover any lapses, we will draw the attention of the Nigerian Navy for intervention”, Jamoh concluded.
Training And Retraining of staff: Capacity building is another area the NIMASA has demonstrated peerless leadership.
NIMASA has quite been introducing many initiatives to improve the capacity of staff. The agency has trained so many cadets overseas, notwithstanding myriads of challenges. Early in the year, the agency renewed its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the World Maritime University (WMU), Malmo, Sweden, in a bid to enhance capacity building in the maritime sector.
Jamoh, however, explained that what the agency expects the banks to come up with as the harmonised procedure for the disbursement includes the interest rate, tenor, collateral and other necessary requirements. He added that the interest rate to be charged should be in line with international best practices since the CVFF would be given to the banks in foreign exchange.
NIMASA’ efforts at getting a seat at IMO
How NIMASA would navigate the next election of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Category C this year is also of keen interest to industry watchers. COVID-19, among other unforeseen
Collaboration with govt. agencies, a big plus in the war against piracy
circumstances, made it impossible for Nigeria to take part in the election in 2020. It was the fourth time Nigeria lost the chance. The last election was held in December 2021.
Former Minister of State for Transportation, Gbemi Saraki, had out of frustration said in June last year that Nigeria would have to suspend further participation until she puts her house in order. In other words, issues of infrastructure bedeviling the sector will have to be addressed before taking another shot on the IMO Category C election.
Saraki had noted the successes in the war against piracy but stressed that it must be sustained. During the recent visit of the IMO Secretary General, Kitack Lim, to the country, he was shown round Nigeria’s facilities in what was an indication that Nigeria may indeed try another shot. Good enough, Lim commended Nigeria on successes recorded against piracy on her territorial waters and Gulf of Guinea (GoG) so far.
Commendations: Appraising the efforts of the government in tackling the problem of piracy, the Chairman of Shipowners Forum, Mrs. Margreth Orakwusi, said it was a good development that all hands were on deck to address the issue in Nigeria.
Noting that piracy was a global issue, she said it was good that there was cooperation between the Federal Ministry of Transportation through NIMASA and the military on the war against piracy. She said: “That’s what we have been advocating for, that agencies should come together to arrest whatever situation we are facing and in this project.
“Some pirates have been convicted under the SPOMO Act; though coming late it cheers us up and gives us that confidence that we can now go back to the sea with full force. Remember this problem has been there for many years. So, we need to appreciate the efforts made so far and encourage them and as stakeholders, we should contribute our quota and be able to advise them when things are not working.”
Orakwusi stated that traditional rulers in the riverine areas where pirates take off from should provide the right intelligence that would lead to their apprehension. “The traditional rulers should wake up to their responsibilities and help this nation to succeed in the deep blue project,” she added.
The Director for International and Intelligence Bureau of the Korean Coast Guard KCG Seonggi Kang had also commended Nigeria for its commitment to the growth of the maritime industry. He said: “We are impressed with the Nigerian Government’s commitment to safety and security on Nigerian waters and the Gulf of Guinea.”
The agency is also aware and conscious of the need for constant manpower development and capacity in sustaining these milestones it has already achieved not only in terms of providing maritime security and safety but also across all its core mandates. It is in the light of this that the agency recently renewed its capacity building Memorandum of Understanding MoU, with the World Maritime University WMU, Malmo, Sweden.
This move, it was learnt, is to enhance capacity development in the country and ultimately grow the maritime industry. The MoU provides for maritime education, training, research and capacity building for officers of NIMASA with at least 10 officers funded annually by the agency to study at WMU in MSc in Maritime Affairs Programme.
In addition, NIMASA will also sponsor at least one officer per year to study in the WMU/IMLI MPhil programme in International Maritime Law and Ocean Policy under the agreement. It also provides for WMU to develop and organise short-term, specialised Executive Professional Development Courses EPDCs for NIMASA officers.
While speaking shortly after the virtual signing of the MoU, recently, DG Dr. Jamoh, noted that there is no substitute to education, insisting that: NIMASA’s collaboration with the WMU is to advance maritime interest while addressing the changing needs of the maritime industry based on sustainable capacity development; as education, training and capacity building play a major role in developing shipping in any nation”, he said.
It was further learnt that the agency is at an advanced stage in setting up a Regional Maritime Safety and Security Research Centre to enhance research works. The centre is to take care of capacity development in 25 African countries.
It was also learnt that graduates from the WMU who are in the employ of the agency will serve as researchers and resource persons, sharing knowledge and hopefully develop a research based sustainable framework to provide solution to issues of insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea.
“The NIMASA Regional Maritime Safety and Security Research Centre is designed to be a centre of excellence in research and we will collaborate and cooperate with other countries”, Jamoh also said. President of the WMU, Dr.Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry noted that NIMASA plays a leading role in developing capacity for the maritime industry in the Gulf of Guinea region. She commended Nigerian students who have passed through the university and welcome the renewal of the
agreement. She added that NIMASA is one of the first supporters of the WMU.
“This initiative also supports the WMU’s commitment to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals SDGs. Nigeria leads, others follow. WMU is delighted to be associated with NIMASA and its works, which extend beyond national boundaries and have a significant effect on the whole region.
“We are also pleased to have such a successful and warm relationship with NIMASA and its members of staff, it is a perfect example of international cooperation for sustainable growth. I look forward to the fruitful outcome of our collaborative efforts as articulated in the memorandum and based on the principles of equity, reciprocity and mutual benefits”, the WMU President also said.
It is expected that Nigeria in particular and the Gulf of Guinea region as a whole would continue to be the beneficiaries of this institutionalized synergy and cooperation and should be sustained.
Conclusion: From the foregoing, Nigeria has shown great commitment to sustaining the momentum of the success recorded in recent times in the fight against piracy in the region.
In a statement, the Assistant Director, Public Relations, NIMASA, Osagie Edward Jamoh, said this while reacting to the 2022 first half report of the International Maritime Bureau.
The IMB in its half-year report of 2022 lauded the reduction in piracy in the globe and expressed optimism that it is a new dawn for the shipping community globally. Jamoh, while commenting on this, said that the reduction was a direct result of collaboration amongst national, regional and non-regional stakeholders.
“It is heart-warming that the international maritime community is acknowledging the progress made so far. It is a direct result of collaboration amongst national, regional and non-regional stakeholders. It is our hope that this trend will be sustained and very soon, we will start reaping the benefits such as a change of status concerning the Insurance premium paid on Nigerian bound cargoes; the War Risk premium being paid at the moment. We hope this status will change very soon.”
The statement also said that the Gulf of Guinea Declaration on Suspension of Piracy had confirmed that there had not been any case of seafarers’ kidnap one year after May 2021.
The statement read in part, “The Gulf of Guinea Declaration on Suppression of Piracy has confirmed that there has not been any case of Seafarers’ kidnap one year after the May 2021 declaration. This is considered commendable progress in comparison to the 2020 statistics when 130 seafarers were kidnapped. The status report from the GoG declaration also confirmed that there has not been any case of kidnap for ransom in 2022, as against 20 cases in 2020 and 12 in 2021.
“While commending the progress, Baltic and International Maritime Council, the world’s largest direct-membership organization for ship-owners, charterers, shipbrokers and agents called for the effective and full deployment of Deep Blue Assets on Anti-piracy tasking. Efforts of the Nigerian Navy in clamping down on pirates camps, the Deep Blue project C4i coastal surveillance and collaboration with international Navies for law enforcement off Nigerian waters and the series of meetings under the umbrella of the Gulf of Guinea maritime coordination Forum, Shared Awareness and Deconfliction, were identified as key to the success in the war against Piracy in the Region.
“On its part, the IMB has also confirmed that no case of vessel hijack took place in Nigerian waters in the first half of 2022. The International Chamber of Commerce and IMB have confirmed that the first half of 2022 witnessed the least cases of piracy globally in 28 years with only 58 reported cases as compared to 68 within same period in 2021. Of the 58 incidents, 2 were classified as Piracy attacks in the Gulf of Guinea, with NONE of them occurring in Nigerian waters. While the reduction in reported incidents is indeed encouraging, the IMB PRC continues to caution against complacency.”