Spanish Govt moves to support Nigeria in securing maritime domain

Spanish Government has pledged to support Nigeria by working closely with the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) on maritime security.

Juan Ignacio Sell, Spanish ambassador to Nigeria made the declaration while inspecting two new bulletproof security boats built for NIMASA by Aresa, a Spanish Company.

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“The Spanish government sees Nigeria as prime in attaining security in the Gulf of Guinea. We also have a naval ship present in the Gulf of Guinea that is helping to enhance security. The message from our President is for the Embassy to seek more partnership with Nigeria in the maritime sector,” Juan said.

Juan said the creation of the Marine and Blue Economy Ministry is a sign that Nigeria is committed to harnessing the ocean potential and Spain is ready to support Nigeria all the way.

Also speaking, Dayo Mobereola, director general of NIMASA, said deploying security boats on Nigerian water is the priority of the agency.

According to him, NIMASA under his leadership will fast-track the deployment of the patrol boats as soon as possible. He also welcomed the partnership with Spain as maritime security cannot be done in silos.

“Collaboration plays a major role in achieving safety and security in the maritime domain. We appreciate the gesture from the Spanish Government, and we will explore areas of collaboration, particularly in both human and infrastructural development. We will work out the logistics for the immediate deployment of the vessels.

“We are confident that they will be instrumental not just to enhance security in Nigerian waters, but also to shore up revenue accruable to the Federal Government as port calls by vessels will increase, and fishing in Nigerian coastal waters will become a major industry in Nigeria,” he said.

The eight-passenger, 13.2-meter-long security boat with a fuel capacity of 3,000 litres is fully air-conditioned with a range of 500 Nautical Miles. They are powered by two 2,300 Horsepower outboard engines with a maximum speed of 45 knots and 25 knots at cruising speed.

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With the new acquisition, NIMASA now has seven fast interventions bulletproof Aresa boats that will soon be deployed on the nation’s water.