The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has topped the chart on Port and Flag State Control in the West and Central Africa Sub-Region following its consistency in reforms and availability of enforcement on vessels.
NIMASA outranked other maritime regulators in the region in the inspection of vessels calling at Nigeria’s ports, according to the latest report by the Abuja Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Port State Control for West and Central Africa Region, otherwise known as Abuja MoU.
Dakuku Peterside, director-general of NIMASA, said it was part of the fruits of recent reforms initiated by the Agency and deliberate investment in enforcement equipment.
“In NIMASA, we are conscious of global best practices and determined to rid our waterways of all substandard vessels, with the ultimate aim of ensuring a safe and robust maritime domain. This will afford us the capacity to be a competitive player in the global maritime space, giving us an edge in the comity of maritime investment destinations,” Peterside said.
The Abuja MoU, led by Mfon Usoro, the secretary-general, stated in the report that Nigeria dominated in detailed inspection of vessels, with 13 exercises out of the total 14 carried out in the continent in 2018.
Signatories to the MoU are Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Congo, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Liberia, Mauritania, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea Bissau, The Gambia, and Togo.
The report showed a significant rise in recorded deficiencies across the continent, as 727 vessel deficiencies were recorded in 2018 as against 587 in 2017. This was attributed to increased enforcement exercises across the various regions, with Nigeria in the lead with 339 deficiencies.
Usoro said an analysis of the MoU’s performance between 2010 and 2018 indicated an unbroken incremental improvement by member-nations’ administrations of the MoU in every aspect of Port State Control (PSC).
She said this evidenced commitment by member-states to rid their waters of substandard ships, improve the standard of welfare of shipboard officers and crew, and stem the pollution of the region’s waters.
Meanwhile, Peterside pointed out that the excellent record posted by Nigeria was the result of recent transformational initiatives introduced by NIMASA, Abuja MoU’s administrator in Nigeria, and the availability of vessels for officers to carry out their enforcement duties.
“We will remain unwavering in our commitment to safety and innovation in line with global best standards, despite the challenges. The Agency has no intention of taking anyone out of business; rather we are here to assist ship operators by creating conducive environment,” he said.
He emphasised that the Agency will not fail to clamp down on erring operators “to safeguard the country’s maritime environment for the good of all.”
Recall that following the international requirement for countries to inspect at least 15 percent of foreign vessels entering their domain, NIMASA inspected and surveyed over 600 vessels calling at Nigerian ports, an unprecedented feat showing the country is alive to its port state and flag state responsibilities.
The increased inspection and survey has ensured that substandard vessels no longer call at Nigerian ports. It has improved safety on Nigerian waters and led to a reduction of vessels with deficiency from 18.99 percent in 2015 to barely 14 percent in 2018.
AMAKA ANAGOR-EWUZIE
