Global Piracy Report: NIMASA Begins Process To Engage IMB

Create coastal jobs for restive youths- Ogbeifun

By Kenneth Jukpor

Worried by the growing global misconception of security threats on Nigerian territorial waters and the nation’s recent abysmal rating by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) on the state of piracy, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has commenced the process of engaging the IMB concerning the wrong data.

The Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside revealed this during a chat with newsmen at the 2018 Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Nigeria, Leadership Impact Programme.

Although Dakuku stated that even minute cases of piracy were bad for the nation’s image and for the sector, he noted that NIMASA’s Total Spectrum Maritime Security Strategy has seen the agency invest massive in intelligence and acquisition of hardware assets to fight criminals on Nigerian waterways.

“NIMASA has commenced the process of engaging IMB concerning the wrong data they churned out recently; but beyond the wrong data, even one case of piracy is bad enough. Recall that NIMASA has also formulated what is called the NIMASA Total Spectrum Maritime Security Strategy with investment in intelligence and acquisition of assets to fight pirates” he said.

Meanwhile, he expressed confidence that the passage of the Anti-piracy bill which was before the national assembly would help curb the activities of piracy in the country.

He also stressed that NIMASA was working in collaboration with regional partners in West Africa and the entire Gulf of Guinea (GoG) to ensure that pirates are pushed out of the Nigerian maritime space and make Nigeria a safe haven for businesses.

“We are working with our local partners on this issue of security, such as the Nigerian Navy, Marine Police and the Nigerian Airforce. We have renewed our Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nigerian Navy and we are about to do same with the Nigerian Airforce”

“We are also engaging with the strategic stakeholders because we understand that if the maritime space isn’t safe, nobody can do shipping, fishing, aquaculture or any economic activity within our maritime space. It is NIMASA’s primary responsibility to ensure that the nation’s maritime space is safe and secure for all players; then we can talk about the economic benefits derivable from the oceans and seas” Dakuku said.

Meanwhile, the President of the Ship Owners Association of Nigeria (SOAN), Engr. Greg Ogbeifun has advised the federal government to address the root cause of piracy in the country by providing alternative sources of livelihood for the youth in coastal areas.

Ogbeifun who was speaking to MMS Plus on the sidelines at the 4^th edition of SOAN’s End-of-Year Workshop and Dinner, said; “there cannot be security on Nigerian waters until we provide alternatives for those pirates, hostage takers and kidnappers. There has to be an economic activity that creates job opportunities or entrepreneurial opportunities for these young ones so that they take their minds away from these illicit acts”

The SOAN President warned that raising an army of heavily armed officers may not solve the problem in the long term as such development may just put pressure and ease the menace for a while before the problem returns again.

Recall that in August, the IMB, an arm of the International Chamber of Commerce, released its latest report on the state of piracy in the world for the first half of this year, which reported more incidents in Nigeria (31) than any other country.

The increase of piracy in the GoG has led to higher shipping costs since vessels are now compelled to insure their crew aside paying for higher security costs and extra war risk insurance premiums for vessels coming to the region.