By Stephen Ubbana
Hopes of Nigeria winning the International Maritime Organization, IMO, Category C, Council Seat, which it had lost between 2017 and 2021, to South Africa in 2019 and Kenya in 2021, brightens.
This is because the Nigerian Government and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, under the close watch of Dayo Mobereola, overseeing the nation’s maritime sector, appears to have addressed the nation’s maritime sector issues which the IMO assessment Teams had persistently complained about over the years: threats to ocean-going vessels in the Gulf of Guinea in spite of the huge presence of the country’s Naval warships in the region.
The Nigerian Government efforts at addressing the maritime was said to have started in in 2017, after it had lost an IMO Category C, Seat that year, providing ample opportunity for the then President Muhammadu Buhari, to contract the Israeli security firm, HLSI, for the sum of a North American country of the United States, US, $195.3 million to supply maritime security equipment to Nigeria to effectively the security issues in Nigerian waters and the Gulf of Guinea region.
The Israeli , security firm, which had kept to the terms of the contract between 2020 and 2022, had delivered 16 Amphibious vehicles, to patrol Nigerian coastal waters, 17 Interception Boats, two Special Mission Vessels, SMVs, two Special Mission Aircrafts, SMA, three Helicopters for surveillance of Nigerian Exclusive ECONOMIC Zone , EEZ, and four Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, to effectively checkmate the activities of the Pirates and sea robbers in the Gulf of Guinea region.
Given that the implementation of the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code, ISPS Code, is a major component of the security architecture of the maritime regulatory agency may have informed why it had engaged the services of the Nigerian Navy, under the close watch of Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, to operate and maintain the sea equipment while the Nigerian Air Force operates and maintain the air equipment.
As a prelude to ensuring that the country meet the requirement of the IMO International Maritime Security Operations Team, on a working visit during the IMO election year, may have encouraged the Nigeria Government to domesticate the ISPS Code implementation regulation since 2014 , bearing in mind that the country is an aspect of the Safety of Life at Sea , SOLLAS Convention, to engage the services of the sister agencies like the Nigerian Navy, under the close watch of Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, to manage the sea security equipment while the Nigerian AirForce oversees the air equipment.
Given their expertise in managing such security equipment may have informed why they have effectively tackled the activities of the pirates and sea robbers in Nigerian waters and the Gulf of Guinea through the Deep Blue Project, initiative of the Federal Government over the last three years. That much was confirmed by Adegboyega Oyetola, a former governor of Osun state and minister of newly created ministry and blue economy.
With the improved performance in the country’s implementation of the ISPS Code, have Mobereola, led Management of NIMASA, may not have given it a thought when the IMO Leadership dispatched the International Maritime Security Operations Team, led by Joe Prince Larson, of the US Coast Guard on a working visit to assess the level of performance of compliance of terminals and the nation’s seaports on the implementation of the ISPS Code.
He has his reason. This is the security situation at the terminals and the nation’s ports were no longer what it was in 2022, when the IMO Inspection Team had visited Nigeria on a working visit. There is o gain saying the fact that the Nigerian Government had made Considerable progress in the implementation ISPS, Code.
Larson, of the US, Coast Guard, from the International Port Security Programme, who was said to have led a team on a working tour of some terminals and seaports in Nigeria, may have gladdened the heart of NIMASA officials when he confirmed that a considerable progress had been made by the government in the level of implementation of the ISPS Code at the terminals and Nigerian Ports visited.
Based on the team interim report of its assessment of the terminals and ports visited , may have given NIMASA, a cause to be cheer. Recall that the US, Coast Guard Team, had earlier conducted an assessment visit to the Dangote Port and Lekki Free Trade Zone, , in Lagos state, the nation’s Commercial nerve center and other private port facilities operated by Matrix and Julius Berger in Warri, Delta state, and were satisfied with what they had met on ground, believed to have met international standard and therefore worthy of commendation.
The US, Coast Guard, team, which was said to have given its verdict on the terminals and ports visited in Nigerian, described the compliance with the ISPS Code as’’ ranking among the best in the global maritime sector’’.
The US Coast Guard Team Leader had stated clearly in their interim report concerning terminal and Nigeria seaports visited that there is a clear and deep understanding on the implementation of the ISPS Code in Nigeria with high level of compliance observed as obtained in terminals and ports in other maritime nations like the US, United Kingdom, France, Netherland, South Korea, China, India, India, France , United Kingdom, among others.
The US, Coast Guard Team Leader, Larson, who could not his feelings had said that the team would report their findings to Leadership of the US, maritime agency accordingly and expressed confidence on Mobereola led NIMASA, for maintain the high security standard that have been SEE at the terminals and the nation’s seaports.
Mobereola, the NIMAS, Director General, had said that the agency could sustain these high levels of improved level of compliance in implementing the ISPS Code at the terminals and seaports because of how Nigeria is perceived internationally.
Industry stakeholders believe that terminals and seaports in Nigeria should rank among the best among maritime nations becaucause Oyetola, the former Osun state, since he mounted the saddle as the minister of the newly created ministry of marine and blue economy . carved out from the old ministry of Transportation, he has thrown his weight behind NIMASA, NPA and other agencies superintended by the ministry to improve on their services, terminal and port security.
The ISPS Code, since it was formed in 2004, was said to have formed the basis for a comprehensive mandatory security regime for international shipping. The Code, according to a NIMASA source is divided into two sections, part A and part B.
The ISPS, Part A, Code, was said to have detailed ‘’ maritime and port security- related requirements which SOLAS contracting governments, Ports Authorities and shipping companies are expected to adhere to, in order to be in compliance with the Code.
The Part B, of the Code, it was gathered was said to have provided a series of re-commendatory guidelines on how’’ to meet the requirements and obligations set out within the provisions of part A’’.
Indeed, the main objectives of the ISPS Code, the NIMASA, had said included the establishment of an international framework that fosters cooperation between Contracting governments , agencies, , local considerations and the shipping and port industries , in assessing and detecting potential security threats to ships and port facilities used for international trade , so as to implement preventive security measures against such threats.
This is in addition to determining the respective roles and responsibilities of all parties involved in the international trade concerned with safeguarding the maritime countries seaports and onboard ships at the national, regional and international levels, ensure that there is an early and efficient collation and exchange of maritime security- related information at the national, regional and international levels.
Moreso, the maritime countries are also expected to provide a methodology for ship and port security assessments, which many believe facilitates the development of the ship, company, and port security plans and procedures which must be utilized to respond to ships or ports’ operations varying security levels and to ensure that adequate and proportionate maritime security measures are in place on board ships and ports.
In achieving the objectives of IMO ISPS Code, the Nigerian Government, trough NIMASA, and the shipping companies were said to have complied with all the ISPS, regulations to forestall threat to port operations.
For countries that had achieved the objectives of the ISPS Code, including Nigeria, this time around, the IMO, Leadership, was said to have provided the maritime nations in need of assistance all the necessary support in implementing the ISPS Code by way of national workshops, seminars and assessment missions.
It was not surprising why the Nigerian Government through NIMASA, could effectively implement the ISPS Code, that has become the talk of the day in international maritime circles. Vintage mobereola.
