Nigeria has again failed to secure a seat into the Assembly of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) after the election was held at the IMO headquarters in London today, Friday 10, 2021.
Nigeria has been elected into the IMO Council only three times – in 2000, 2007 and 2009 while all other attempt to return to the Council since the last election in 2009 has failed.
Elections are held into all three categories every two years and Nigeria is eligible to contest elections into category C only but has in several occasions failed to secure a seat.
This, pundits attributed, to the failure of Nigeria to develop its indigenous shipping and to implement the report of the IMO Member State Audit Scheme (IMSAS).
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During the election, the Assembly elected the members of its Council for the 2022-2023 biennium, and according to the IMO, the following States were elected into Council:
In the category (a): Ten States with the largest interest in providing international shipping services including China, Greece, Italy, Japan, Norway, Panama, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States, were elected.
In the category (b): Another 10 States with the largest interest in international seaborne trade including Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the United Arab Emirates, were elected.
While in the category (c), which supposed to include Nigeria, 20 States not elected under (a) or (b) above, which have special interests in maritime transport or navigation and whose election to the Council will ensure the representation of all major geographic areas of the world, were elected.
They include Bahamas, Belgium, Chile, Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Morocco, the Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey and Vanuatu, excluding Nigeria.
According to IMO, the newly elected Council will meet, following the conclusion of the 32nd Assembly, for its 126th session (on 15 December) and will elect its chair and vice-chair for the next biennium.
The Council is the executive organ of IMO and is responsible, under the Assembly, for supervising the work of the Organization. Between sessions of the Assembly, the Council performs the functions of the Assembly, except that of making recommendations to Governments on maritime safety and pollution prevention.
