As the leadership of Dr. Bashir Jamoh at the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) clocks 2 years on March 10th, the agency has highlighted some of its modest accomplishments under the present leadership.
The Agency continues to improve its port and flag state functions which is the core of maritime safety. The performance of the Agency in Port State Control has seen 725 inspections recorded in 2019 representing 10% increase when compared to the previous year and 510 inspections in 2020 representing 29.6% decrease.
Total port state inspection in 2019 was 726 vessels of the 5,035 vessels calls which represents 10% improvement from the preceding year and 14.42% of the of total ship call. This is however short of 15% requirement under IMO by 0.8% of which we are working hard to surpass.
Total port state inspections in 2020 was 510 of 4,728 vessel calls. (COVID-19 lockdown impacted negatively on the Port State Inspections)
On marine incidents/accidents, the Agency recorded 22 marine incidents in 2019 and 21 in 2018. Investigations were carried out while some are still on-going.
NIMASA efforts to address maritime security where highlighted to include the passage of the Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences (SPOMO) Act, establishment of integrated national maritime surveillance and security infrastructure, implementation of the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code has steadily impacted on the level of security in the nation’s port areas and facilities.
Other efforts include the resuscitation of the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) Equipment, the Regional Maritime Awareness Capacity (RMAC) Centre, engaging international stakeholders, including BIMCO, INTERTANKO, INTERCARGO, International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and Oil Companies International Maritime Forum-OCIMF, under the auspices of NIMASA/Industry Maritime Security Work Group (NIWG) to entrench coordinated response to piracy attacks and spearheading the institutionalization of the collaboration between her and other frontline maritime agencies for improved maritime safety and security and efficient port operations.
On human capital development, NIMASA fulfilled its statutory financial contribution to Maritime Academy, Oron, Nigerian Seafarers Development Program (NSDP) as the Agency has trained over 2600 Nigerian Seafarers in various credible maritime institutions UK, Egypt, Philippine, Malaysia, etc.
NIMASA also sent some of its staff on long term training abroad to build internal capacities in various aspects of the maritime industry at the prestigious World Maritime University.
To boost indigenous ship operations, fiscal and monetary policy initiatives have been promoted by the agency as it continues engagement with the MDAs to entrench an appropriate fiscal and monetary policy initiatives to pave way for the competitive participation of indigenous operators in shipping activities in Nigeria.
Some of these moves reportedly led to the push for the change in terms of trade from FOB to CIF for the affreightment of crude oil (NNPC), single digit interest rate for the maritime sector (CBN/NEXIM Bank/AFREXIM Bank), concessional foreign exchange rate for ship acquisition via CBN, engagement with office of the Vice President’s Economic Management team, among others.
Meanwhile, aggressive repositioning of the Nigerian Ship Registration Office (NSRO) saw the Ship Registration Office record 13.8% tonnage growth from 2018 to 2019. This trajectory of growth was negatively impacted by the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Nigerian Ship Registry ranks second in tonnage measurement in Africa after Liberia which operates an open and more flexible registry. Remodeling and commissioning of NIMASA Knowledge Centre E-Library and the facility is open to staff, students/researchers and external stakeholders/maritime operators to increase the knowledge base of the Nigerian maritime sector.
Highlighting some special interventions and Corporate Social Responsibility amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Executive Management of NIMASA ensured the continued flow of trade was the declaration of seafarers as key workers to facilitate vital crew changes and excuse duty.
Nigeria was among the first maritime nations to declare such and was commended by the IMO.
