Diplomatic gains in Nigeria’s maritime security

In diplomatic circles, several parameters are used to assess a nation’s diplomatic strength but one of the tools which is contextually applicable is the ability of a Nation to prevent international sanction and boycott of its goods and services by the actors in the international scene.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) had in a Diplomatic Conference in December 2002 amended the Safety of Life at Sea Convention (SOLAS) with the adoption of the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPSC) as a precautionary measure against the repeat of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre Towers New York in the shipping domain. From the beginning, the ISPS Code was established as an international framework to protect the global marine domain from the threat of terrorism. Put differently, the IMO did not want the 9/11 episode to occur in any marine domain in any country. The ISPS Code is therefore a proactive measure against such occurrence. All IMO contracting governments were mandated to abide by the requirements of the ISPSC in its maritime domain from July 2004 and Nigeria as one of the members of IMO was expected to comply accordingly.

Hitherto, the Obasanjo administration had domiciled the implementation of this code in the now moribund Presidential Implementation Committee on Maritime Safety and Security, (PICOMSS). The establishment of PICOMSS as an adhoc body met the IMO deadline and Nigeria was given a pass mark for it. 

Nigeria was alarmed with a threat by the United States Coast Guard in a document titled, US Diplomatic Note on Nigerian Government to fully implement the ISPS Code within 90 days or face international sanction from American Government and its allies in the shipping domain. The American Government had threatened to stop its ships and those of its allies from berthing at Nigerian Ports if the Code was not substantially complied with in the country. The threat and ultimatum was issued after the study of the dismal nature of Nigerian’s Maritime Security by the United States Coast Guard, which gave a damning verdict in its preliminary report and that was before NIMASA was named the ISPS Code Focal Point. This gingered the Federal Government of Nigeria into action which dismantled PICOMSS and named Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) in May, 2013 as the Designated Authority for the full implementation and governance of the Code with the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Transport.

The good and cheering news is that at the expiration of the 90-day ultimatum, the United States Coast Guard came back to Nigeria for re-assessment and evaluation of the implementation of International Ship and Port Facility Security Code in the country and gave Nigerian a clean bill of health for making reasonable efforts in the entrenchment of the Code in the Country’s Maritime Safety and Security domain.

This feat was a great milestone in the beefing up of Nigeria’s Maritime Security and Safety and at the diplomatic level. Nigeria now commands more respect and confidence of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) which abinitio adopted this Maritime Security Code for its members. The confidence of many shippers who are doing business in Nigeria’s Maritime arena have been boosted by that United States Coastal Guards pass mark. By the substantial compliance with the implementation of the ISPC Code, Nigerian Government warded off the threat of American Government of stopping its ships and those of its allies from doing business in Nigeria’s coastal waters.

An ugly state of diplomatic row between Nigeria and other countries was totally averted. If Nigerian Government did not meet up with the 90-day ultimatum, not only will the country be battling to improve its international image, it will equally face the huge task of restoring multilateral relations in the shipping sector through many diplomatic shuttles and trade-offs.

This recent stride gives cause to commend President Jonathan for his timely intervention and support, Minister of Transport Senator Idris A. Umar for his effective supervision and Patrick Akpobolekemi’s led NIMASA for vigorous implementation of the Code.

The implementation of ISPS Code has led to categorization of Ports, development of a data base of all Port facilities, with Port facilities in Lagos now close to 70% and a total of 22 Port facilities in Nigeria confirmed to be ISPS Code compliant.  Similarly, all vessels berthing at Nigerian Seaports and Port facilities must mandatorily be ISPS Code compliant.

Several measures which may not be exhausted in this short piece have been put in place by the Country’s Designated Authority- NIMASA to ensure that Nigeria is ISPS Code complaint. As soon as NIMASA received the letter of appointment from the Federal Ministry Transport as the Designated Authority, it swung into action and commenced with the convening of a general stakeholders conference which made comprehensive resolution on areas affecting the implementation of ISPS Code in the country. NIMASA established an ISPS Code implementation committee made up of Stakeholders Organizations namely NIMASA, Nigeria Navy, Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), NNPC, Nigeria Police, Nigerian Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, and State Security Service for easy networking, collaboration and overseeing the implementation mandate. 

The following actions were equally taken: Port Verification Inspection Exercise (VIE) of the Ports facilities in Lagos, Port-Harcourt, Calabar and Warri accomplished as the basis for issuance of 2014 statement of compliance with ISPS Code to the Port facilities and sanctions where necessary, Access Control involving Security screening of people coming in and out of the Ports facilities, jetties and terminals; training and retraining of focal point officers on the implementation of ISPS Code locally and abroad; production and publication of enlightenment hand book on the dynamics of ISPS Code for the consumption of the Port facilities operators to reduce their ignorance of ISPS Code requirements; Intelligence  gathering and sharing among stakeholder Organizations working in the Port facilities with NIMASA expected to liaise with the office of the National Security Adviser on the implementation of the Code; Security assessment of all the Ports facilities for the  preparation of ISPS Code complaint security plans and the stock taking of Nation’s Coastal Maritime Assets; Registration of Security Companies providing guard personnel to companies operating in the Maritime zone as well as the vendors, infrastructure  services providers for easy regulation and security training of their workers and installation of security gadgets at designated points for easy crime detection.

The Designated Authority has been making frantic efforts to address all the observations raised in the United States Diplomatic Note and to provide adequate Security in the 127 ISPS applicable Ports in the country with effective supervision of the Federal Ministry of Transport.

The Federal Government of Nigeria has been implementing the ISPS Code in its Maritime domain in line with global best practices and has the political will and determination to sustain and consolidate the successes already achieved, to boost the confidence of international shippers and other global maritime bodies in our maritime system

INNOCENT EBIRIM