The report stated that among the 10 member states that recorded numerical increase in Port State Control inspection in 2018, Nigeria stands out with 636 inspections on vessels, showing 82 percent rise when compared with 350 inspections carried out in 2017.
It further revealed that the number of ship calls in Nigerian ports grew by 23 percent from 9,073 ship calls in 2017 to 11,171 ship calls in 2018.
With the report, analysts believed that Nigeria, through its apex maritime regulatory body, which is the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), has upped its game in maritime administration through consistent reforms and enforcement of quality standards on vessels calling Nigerian Ports.
Nigeria, they say, is becoming conscious of global best practices by showing determination to rid the nation’s waters of substandard vessels, with the ultimate aim of ensuring safe maritime domain.
This development, no doubt, will afford Nigeria the required capacity to become a competitive player in the global maritime space and put her in league of maritime investment destinations.
BusinessDay findings show that NIMASA has since the last three years engaged in deliberate efforts to protect the nation’s maritime assets and environment by building capability under the deep blue sea project. It invested in meeting the international requirement of inspecting at least 15 percent of foreign vessels entering the nation’s waters.
NIMASA has also intensified inspection of ships calling the ports to ensure compliance with international conventions, and this has not only helped to earn Nigeria the top Abuja MoU’s ranking, but has also helped to reduce the number of substandard vessels coming to the country.
In addition, the agency is beginning to pay serious attention to building capacity through training of Port State Control Officers to equip them with the needed capacity for inspecting ships in Nigeria.
For instance, Nigeria through NIMASA has acquired special mission aircraft, telecommunications gadgets, and 17 interceptor vessels. The agency in conjunction with the nation’s security services has set up a Command and Control Centre with armoured vehicles and standing military force to deal with criminalities at sea.
Recall that upon assumption of office, Dakuku Peterside-led management of NIMASA rolled out 5-pillar reform strategies in 2016. They include Survey, Inspection and Certification Transformation Programme; Environment, Security and Search and Rescue Transformation Programme; Capacity Building and Promotional Initiatives; Digital Transformation Strategy; and Structural and Cultural reforms, which entails changes to work ethic and attitude of staff.
With mind set on improving Abuja MoU’s ranking of Nigeria, it intensified action on the Survey, Inspection and Certification Transformation Programme, which helped to fulfill the nation’s obligations under the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW).
Meanwhile, the report further showed a significant rise in number of vessels with deficiencies as 727 vessel deficiencies were recorded in 2018 as against 587 vessel deficiencies in 2017.
“SOLAS related deficiencies ranked the highest among member states with 52.54 percent while the number of ship detentions decreased to 14 from 16 detentions recorded in 2017. In total, the performance percentage inspection by member states for year under review stood at 4.79 percent, which is still far below the target of 15 percent for the region but slightly more than 4.36 percent recorded in 2017,” the report stated.
Abuja MoU is the legal document under which countries in West and Central African region agreed to develop and implement a common mechanism for Port State Control activities.
The MoU, which was established with the mandate to harmonise PSC procedure and practices of all the countries in the region, is saddled with the responsibility of eliminating substandard shipping operations from ports in the region.
It also aims to ensure maritime safety, security, protection of the marine environment from pollution, and to improve the working conditions of ship crew, as well as facilitate regional cooperation and exchange of information among member states.
Member states of Abuja MoU include Angola, Benin, Cape Verde, Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sao Tome and Principe, Guinea Bissau, The Gambia, and Togo.
Other countries in the region that are not full members of the MoU include Equatorial Guinea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Mauritania and Namibia.
Dakuku Peterside, director-general of NIMASA, who described the improved PSC inspection in Nigerian ports as the fruits of some of the recent reforms initiated by the Agency, said Nigeria was able to achieve this feat following the continuous investment in the acquisition of enforcement equipment.
“The excellent record posted by Nigeria on PSC inspection was the result of recent transformational initiatives introduced by NIMASA. We have been able to make vessels available for officers to carry out their enforcement duties,” he said.
He however promised that Nigeria through NIMASA will remain unwavering in its commitment to safety and innovation in line with global best standards, despite the challenges. “The Agency has no intention of taking any shipowner out of business; rather we are here to assist ship operators by creating a comfortable shipping environment.”
Peterside however warned that NIMASA will not fail to clamp down on erring operators and ships in order to safeguard the Nigerian maritime domain for the good of all.
Mfon Usoro, secretary-general of Abuja MoU, stated in the report, that there has been an increased level of professionalism among PSC officers (PSCOs) and inspection, which has resulted in noticeable decrease in reported allegations of unprofessional practices of PSCOs.
According to her, the analysis of the MoU’s performance between 2010 and 2018 indicated an unbroken improvement by member-nations’ administrations of the MoU in every aspect of Port State Control (PSC).
She said the MoU has seen commitment among 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.
Usoro however called on member states to maintain the momentum in order to eliminate operations of substandard vessels and invest in sustainable blue economy.
The Abuja MoU on State Control was signed at a Ministerial Conference organised by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and held in Abuja by 16 West and Central African States on October 22, 1999.
