By Stephen Ubanna
The Federal Republic of Nigeria has signed an Exchange of Note with the Japanese Government for an Economic and Social Development Programme involving the acquisition of High-Speed Boat to reinforce services for coastal security in Nigeria, being implemented by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA.
Prince Clem Agba, minister of State, Budget and National Planning , was said to have signed the Exchange of Note document on behalf of the Nigerian government, while Kazuyoshi Matsunnaga the Ambassador Extraordinary and plenipotentiary of Japan to Nigeria, signed the document on behalf of the Japanese Government. Bashir Jamoh, Director General, NIMASA, was said to have watched keenly with his Management Team members while the Exchange and Note document was signed by the two top government functionaries of the two countries.
In signing the Exchange and Note document on the high –speed boat, Prince Agba noted that the procurement of the High Speed Boat worth $2.78 million dollars, will greatly enhance the operations of the Deep Blue project. He commended the Japanese government for their interest and interventions in Nigeria for Economic development.
According to him, the Exchange and Notes $2.78 million High speed boat will ‘’definitely strengthen the partnership between the Government of Japan and Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The minister also noted that the “Nigerian government also appreciates the recent exchange of notes signed for Emergency Improvement of Electricity Supply Facilities in Abuja, and the role which the Japanese government played in the development of the National Power Development Master-plan designed to guide the Nigerian Government on the optimal energy mix and efficiency for Nigeria”.
An appreciative had Jamoh, assured the Japanese Government that the Agency which is working closely with other relevant stakeholders will ensure ‘’the sustainability of the recent success in the war against piracy in Nigerian waters and the Gulf of Guinea’’. Recall that between February and now, there have not been any recorded incident of Piracty attacks in Nigerian maritime domain or the Gulf of the Guinea as the case in the past.
He noted that ‘’the High-Speed Boat is a welcome addition in the agency growing arsenal of platforms and assets to reinforce service for coastal security, not only in Nigeria but also in the Gulf of Guinea, as over 60% of shipping activities in the region pass through Nigerian waters”.
Until the Nigerian government signed the $2.78 million Exchange and Note High speed boat with the Japanese government it had engaged the Israeli security firm HLSI Systems and Technologies Limited which supplied 17 interception boats, 16 armoured vehicles for coastal patrol, Two Special Mission Vessels, Two Special Mission aircrafts for Surveillance of Nigerian Economic Exclusive Economic Zone, EEZ, and t10 unmanned Aerial vehicles for the Deep blue Project including Helicopters . The supply of the195 million. maritime security assets for the Deep Blue Project had been contracted to te Israeli firm in 2017 at the cost of $195 million.
Ambassador Matsunaga Kazuyoshi, the Japanese government top official had said noted the Exchange and Note High speed boat would support the measures that had already been adopted by the Nigerian Government ‘’to deal with the threat of the blue economy, to prevent and suppress piracy, sea robbery, and any other unlawful act against ships in Nigerian waters’’.
The Ambassador, who could not hide his feelings noted that “in the Gulf of Guinea, where the piracy problem is hindering the economic development of the coastal areas by forcing some of the people to go into piracy for their livelihood, the Nigerian government need to use this vicious cycle approach to break the jinx’’.
According to him, ‘’Economic and Social Development is one of the guiding principles of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development, TICAD, noting that “the people and Government of Japan hope this project will enable NIMASA reinforce their operations and services for coastal security in Nigeria, strengthen Nigeria’s counter piracy efforts and prove useful for the security of the Gulf of Guinea’’.
