DEEP BLUE PROJECT WILL END CRIMINALITIES IN OUR WATERS – FG

·        As NIMASA, Military Pledge Commitment to Maritime Security

·        Graduate Joint Surveillance Intelligence Officers



The Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, has reiterated the Federal Government’s determination to rid the Nigerian territorial waters of criminalities through the Integrated Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure, otherwise known as the Deep Blue Project. Amaechi disclosed this on Thursday in Lagos during the graduation ceremony for participants of the C4I Intelligence System Operator Course for the Deep Blue Project. The ceremony was attended by the top echelons of the Nigerian Armed Forces, led by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olonisakin represented by Rear Admiral A. Akinrinade.

Amaechi stated that the 853km long Nigeria coastline and the country’s location in the Gulf of Guinea made it strategic for both maritime activities and security issues.

L-R: GOC 81 DIV, Major Gen. MS Yusuf, Director General NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, Representative of the Minister of Transportation/Director Maritime Safety and Security, Danjuma M. Dauda and the Representative of the Chief of Defence Staff Rear Admiral A Akinrinande during the Graduation ceremony of C41 intelligence System Operator Course held in Lagos

According to the minister, who was represented by the Director, Maritime Safety and Security, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Engr. Dajuma Dauda, “The length of our coastline, our exclusive economic zone, as well as our strategic location on a major shipping route, which is the Gulf of Guinea, means that we cannot afford illegalities, such as piracy, oil theft, sea robbery, and other crimes.

“The Deep Blue Project is a conscious effort towards addressing illegality in our territorial waters and, indeed, the Gulf of Guinea.”

In his welcome address, the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, said the Deep Blue Project would drastically reduce criminalities in the Gulf of Guinea. Dakuku explained that the project was multifaceted and involved the training of selected officers from the various strata of the security services and NIMASA as well as acquisition of assets to combat maritime crime.

He stated, “The Deep Blue Project is a multipronged approach towards tackling insecurity in our territorial waters and the entire Gulf of Guinea. What we are doing is fulfilling the training aspect of the project and this will also be complemented by acquisition of assets, such as fast intervention vessels, surveillance aircraft, and other facilities, including a command and control centre for data collection and information sharing that will aid our goals of targeted enforcement.”

The NIMASA DG added, “The Deep Blue Project is geared towards building a formidable integrated surveillance and security architecture that will comprehensively combat maritime crime and criminalities in Nigeria’s waterways up to the Gulf of Guinea.”

Dakuku stated that the Agency, in collaboration with the National Assembly, was taking steps to ensure that the Antipiracy Bill was passed soon. He saidNIMASA was involved in both regional and domestic collaborations to ensure that maritime crimes in the country’s waterways were reduced to a bare minimum, if not completely eliminated.

In his remarks, the best graduating student among the 21 course participants, Abdul Razaq Lawal Mohammed, said the course exposed participants to security challenges being faced in the Gulf of Guinea region and the possible solutions. He promised to bring his experience to bear in efforts to make the Nigerian maritime space safe for investment.

Certificates were presented to the successful participants by the GOC 9th Mechanized Division, Maj-Gen M. S. Yusuf representing the Chief of Army Staff;  Air Commodore S. O. Shobande and Rear Admiral M. A. Eno Represented the Chief of Air Staff and the Chief of Naval Staff respectively. Also the Police was represented by AIG, Marine, Abdul Dahir Danwanu; and Mr Ado Ibrahim represented the Department of State Security Service (DSS).

The participants were drawn from the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Navy, Nigeria Police, DSS, and NIMASA. 

NIMASA had earlier in the year graduated 24 C4i system operators and also, recently, 300 officers of the Nigerian Army who were trained on the Basic Infantry Course, all under the Deep Blue Project. The Intelligence System Operator Course, with 21 graduates, is an aspect of the training that focuses on intelligence, data gathering, and information sharing towards a targeted enforcement approach.

The project provides both land and air based surveillance capabilities with command and control centres located across the country for data gathering and information sharing.

CABOTAGE IMPLEMENTATION: NIMASA, STAKEHOLDERS MOVE TO ACHIEVE FIVE-YEAR WAIVER CESSATION PLAN

As part of efforts to actualise the full implementation of the Cabotage Act, 2003, which aims to promote indigenous participation in shipping in Nigeria, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and key industry players have mapped out a plan to end Cabotage waivers for non-indigenous ship owners within the next five years. The proposal emerged during a meeting earlier in the week in Lagos between NIMASA and the stakeholders centring on the need for collaboration to facilitate optimal implementation of the Cabotage law.

Speaking during the meeting held at the NIMASA headquarters, the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, said the Agency was determined to ensure that Cabotage waivers were stopped in the next five years.

Dakuku stated, “NIMASA’s mandate is all about promoting and regulating shipping in Nigeria and we have no intentions to stifle anybody’s business. Rather, we are committed to promoting, protecting and providing the enabling environment so that the local ship owners can grow and compete with their international counterparts.

R: Former Director General, NIMASA, Mr. Temisan Omatseye; Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services, NIMASA, Mr. Gambo Ahmed; Head, Cabotage, Mr. Victor Egejuru; Director Maritime Labour, Mr. Ibrahim Jibril; Director General, Nigerian Chamber of Shipping, Mrs. Obi Obiageli; and Deputy Director, Western Zone, Mrs. Irene Macfoy, after a meeting between NIMASA and maritime industry stakeholders on a five-year Cabotage cessation plan in Lagos. March 19, 2019.

“We are, certainly, determined to work with our stakeholders.” 

The DG, who was represented by the Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services, Mr. Gambo Ahmed, told the stakeholders that part of the strategy to bring an end to the issuance of waivers was to develop infrastructural capacity and human capital with respect to training of seafarers to attain global standards.

He called on the stakeholders to cooperate with the Agency to realise the Cabotage implementation, saying it holds a huge potential to create jobs, add to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and bring about a boom in the economy. 

Speaking at the occasion, Mr. Temisan Omatseye noted that NIMASA was the only Agency recognised and mandated by the government to regulate and enforce shipping activities in Nigeria. Omatseye urged the Agency to use the powers bestowed on it by law to ensure total compliance with the Cabotage Act and apply punitive measures against erring shipping companies.

“If we don’t begin to enforce the Cabotage law, the use of the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF) will be defeated,” Omatseye added.

On his part, Mr. Neeraj Kumar of TMC Shipping Pvt, India, commended the efforts of the Agency to ensure the implementation of the Act, stating that the ports are critical to economic growth. Kumar pledged India’s willingness to collaborate with Nigeria, especially, in the area of shipbuilding.

Other stakeholders who spoke at the event were Mr. Mike Igbokwe, SAN; Barrister (Mrs.) Obiageli Obi; and President of Nigerian Indigenous Ship owners Association (NISA), Mr. Aminu Umar. They unanimously applauded the efforts of the present management of NIMASA to actualise a robust maritime sector through various stakeholder-oriented programmes and promised their full support and cooperation. They also called on the Federal Government to support the Agency to ensure greater indigenous participation in the maritime sector. 

Part III, section 9-11 of the Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage) Act, 2003 provides for waiver on the requirements for ownership and manning of Cabotage vessels by Nigerians and also building of such vessels in Nigeria, where capacity is lacking. However, in order to encourage more indigenous participation, which is the essence of the Act, NIMASA is desirous of stopping these waivers and has put in place a strategic plan in that regard. It includes the New Cabotage Compliance Strategy (NCCS) under which certain categories of waivers have been suspended.

NIMASA Reaffirms Commitment to Sea Time Training for Nigerian Cadets.

       Signs MOU with Maritime Academy of India

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has restated its commitment to partnerships with international institutions for sea time training of Nigerians under the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP). Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, said this in the week in Lagos during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Agency and the Maritime Academy of India for on-board sea time training of some graduates of the programme. Dakuku said the MoU covered the training of 60 cadets in three batches of 20 each.  

“This MOU will help reduce the amount of cadets awaiting sea-time by clearing up the first 60 of the backlog in three batches of 20 each,” he stated.

R-L: Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Dr. Dakuku Peterside and Managing Director, TMC Shipping Pvt. Limited and the Maritime Academy of India, Neeraj Kumar displaying the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NIMASA and the Maritime Academy of India for on-board sea time training of some graduates of the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP) at the Headquarters of the Agency in Lagos.

He congratulated the 20 trainees under the first batch of the scheme and tasked them to be dedicated, disciplined, and committed to making the best use of the opportunity to develop themselves and aid national development.

“We are proud that you will be joining the global merchant fleets. Be sure to represent Nigeria positively,” the DG told the trainees. “We are determined to get all of your mates the much needed sea-time. Under the current leadership of NIMASA, we are working very hard to provide sea-time for all that have gone through our NSDP,” he added.

He expressed NIMASA’s determination to explore and use appropriate avenues to ensure that Nigerian seafarers got the right exposure and training to excel in the global maritime space, saying in the near future Nigeria would be a supplier of qualified seafarers to the rest of the world.

Dakuku said the Agency was in negotiation with other academies with access to ocean going training vessels in countries, like Turkey and United Kingdom, among others, to secure sea time for Nigerians. He said he wanted to replicate in Nigeria the progress recorded under similar partnerships in countries, like Philippines, in the area of providing seafarers to the international market.

The Maritime Academy of India was represented at the MoU signing ceremony by Managing Director, TMC Shipping Pvt. Limited and the maritime Academy, Neeraj Kumar.

In his remarks, Kumar appreciated NIMASA’s effort to develop the seafarers and commended the NSDP initiative. TMC is India's leading maritime education, training and recruitment company.

NIMASA has trained about 2000 Nigerians under the NSDP scheme, with many cadets at various stages of completion of the programme. The Agency is tackling the issue of sea-time training for the cadets through full sponsorship, in partnership with some international institutions that have access to ocean going training vessels.

Some cadets have done their on-board sea time training under the first phase of the NIMASA fully-sponsored sea time training programme, facilitated alongside the Arab Academy of Science, Technology and Marine Transportation in Alexandria, Egypt. On-board training for another set of cadets was facilitated by the South Tyneside College, UK. The Agency has also trained some Nigerians under a partnership with universities in The Philippines.

FG REITERATES COMMITMENT TO EFFECTIVE SERVICE DELIVERY IN MDAs

  NIMASA, Stakeholders Sign Service Level Agreement

The Federal Government has restated its commitment to prompt and effective service delivery, especially in its Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), saying it is an essential condition for economic development. President Muhammadu Buhari’s Special Assistant on the Ease of Doing Business, Mrs. Jumoke Oduwole, made the assertion in Lagos during the signing ceremony of the Service Level Agreement (SLA) between the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and its stakeholders. The signing ceremony was organised by the SERVICOM Unit of NIMASA in conjunction with the Office of the National Coordinator of SERVICOM.

The SLA is a requirement under Executive Order 1 on the Ease of Doing Business, signed by the Federal Government in May 2017. It commits NIMASA to a binding agreement with its customers to, in the spirit of transparency, publish data on the processes and accessibility of organisation-wide information with regard to cost, timelines, and other requirements for obtaining services in the Agency.  

Speaking at the occasion, Oduwole, who was represented by Mr. David Uzozike, commended NIMASA for its commitment to excellence as well as prompt and consistent submission of the Agency’s monthly performance reports.

The National Coordinator of SERVICOM, Mrs. Nnenna Akajemelu, in her remarks, applauded the management of NIMASA for its inclination towards reform. Akajemelu noted that excellent service delivery was a collective responsibility.

“Excellence is a journey. So whatever must be done to achieve it must be put in place. The bigger picture of excellent service delivery is Nigeria; we therefore look at the future of seeing our customers delighted,” she said.

According to Akajemelu, with the SLA initiative, the service provider is saying to the public it is committed and as such has handed to the public all the standards that will be deployed to ensure that excellent services are rendered at all times.

She praised the Agency’s plan to automate all its service windows.“This tells us that the days of service failure are being gradually eradicated,” Akajemelu said.

The Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, emphasised the critical role of effective and efficient service delivery in the country’s quest for development. Dakuku stressed that the Agency was unwaveringly committed to promptness and excellence in its operations.

“The signing marks a new era and significant milestone for the Agency for greater service delivery in quantifiable and measurable terms. It also brings to focus what the leadership of NIMASA stands for on the issues of effectiveness, efficiency, and, most importantly, the credibility of service delivery,” Dakuku said.

He explained that quality service was a culture that must be observed at all times, adding, “The Agency’s commitment to quality and excellent service at all times and in all our service windows is total and unwavering.”

The DG assured the SERVICOM office of maximum cooperation, noting that reliable customer feedback is the essence of the Service Level Agreement.

Executive Director, Finance and Administration, NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, while highlighting the way forward, pledged the Agency’s determination to work with the SERVICOM Office to actualise a regime of prompt and efficient service delivery in the maritime sector.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY: DAKUKU URGES ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT IN BLUE ECONOMY

The Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has praised women in the country for their contributions and achievements in the typically male-dominated maritime sector. But he also called for the involvement of more women to help grow the sector.

Dakuku stated these in his message to Nigerian women on the occasion of the International Women’s Day, marked globally on March 8. He said women in Nigeria had made enormous contributions to the socio-economic wellbeing of the country that could not be wished away. But he sought more active involvement of women in the efforts to build a strong blue economy. 

The Director-General said, “Women are wonderful builders and good asset keepers, and Nigerian women are even much more. I salute and respect you, great daughters of Nigeria, on this occasion of International Women’s Day for your monumental contributions and achievements in the maritime sector, in particular, and Nigeria, in general.

“As we strive to build a virile Blue Economy capable of diversifying our national economy and creating prosperity for the Nigerian people, I call for more active involvement of women. I seek your participation as equal partners in the collective task of taking Nigeria to the next level so that together we all can proudly accomplish this historic duty of creating a continental paradigm for the sustainable use of the world’s ocean resources for the overall good of mankind.

“I line with the theme for this year’s International Women’s Day, which is ‘Think Equal, Build Smart, Innovate for Change,’ I call on the womenfolk in Nigeria to roll up your sleeves and get ready to sail with the menfolk. And safely we shall land Nigeria as an El Dorado of jobs, security, and prosperity.”  

Dakuku has been a relentless advocate of greater women participation in the maritime sector in Nigeria and Africa, and this accords with the intense global push for professional and social equality. And it is in line with the focus of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) this year, which is, “Empowering Women in the Maritime Community.”

International Women's Day, a United Nations recognised day, is celebrated on March 8 every year. Last year the official UN theme for the day was “Time is Now: Rural and Urban Activists Changing Women's Lives.”

NIMASA COMMITTED TO DEVELOPING BLUE ECONOMY THROUGH CAPACITY BUILDING-DAKUKU

Charges Media On Investigative Journalism

The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Dr. Dakuku Peterside has reiterated that the Agency remains committed to growing the ideals of the blue economy by bringing to the fore adequate knowledge of the sector in line with the capacity building drive of the Agency.

Dr. Dakuku who made this known during an interactive session with journalists in Lagos yesterday said that adequate knowledge of the sector would ensure fair and professional reportage. He charged the media to embrace investigative journalism in their method of reportage as it will benefit the maritime industry and the nation at large.

The DG who was represented by the Executive Director, Finance and Administration of NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh also gave the assurance that the Agency will continue to partner the media in various ways, including capacity building; adding that they the fulcrum through which the activities of the Agency can be made public, thereby attracting more participation in the sector.

“On our part as an Agency, we give priority to capacity building as it remains the only way the industry can grow and the Media are not left out of this. We are what we project to our stakeholders, both local and international; hence the need for the media to embrace investigative journalism to make their reportage factual and balanced”, he said. 

Speaking further, he stated that the Agency remains committed to the ideals of actualising the Blue Economy, which deals with the totality of all economic activity associated with the oceans, seas, harbours and coastal zones. The concept also includes; aquaculture, biomedicine, boats and shipbuilding, ship repairs, defense and security, amongst others all geared towards wealth and job creation for the growth and development of the Nigerian economy.

He also highlighted other steps the Agency is taking to ensure a robust maritime sector to include the drafting of a dedicated anti-piracy bill, which is before the National Assembly, to provide the requisite framework for the fight, prosecution and punishment of piracy and other related crimes in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea, expected to be passed to law soon. Also, the Agency has the approval for the acquisition of intelligence gathering maritime domain awareness assets and military response assets to fight pirates and make Nigeria’s maritime domain safe for economic activities.

Also speaking during the event, the President of the Shipping Correspondent of Nigeria (SCAN), Mr. Yusuf Babalola commended the Management of NIMASA for its strides in transforming the maritime sector, through various Stakeholder oriented policies.

While assuring the Agency of its readiness to partner it to ensure it actualize its mandates, he applauded the Agency for its huge contributions to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CFR) of the Federal Government, its increase awareness in the area of International Ships and Ports Security (ISPS) Facility Code, which has led to more compliance by the various facility operators, the berthing a modular floating dock amongst other strides.

It may be recalled that collaboration has remained the hallmark of the present Management of NIMASA, which has helped the Agency achieve various strides since the inception of the Dr. Dakuku Peterside led Management.