HUMAN CAPITAL, KEY ASSET IN HARNESSING MARINE RESOURCES – HEAD OF SERVICE

…Commends NIMASA For Human Capacity Development

The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, has identified human capacity as an area where Nigeria has a huge comparative advantage in the global maritime community, stating that this unique human asset was significant in the effort to sustainably harness the country’s marine biodiversity.

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She spoke in Lagos during the 2019 African Day of Seas and Oceans, with the theme, “Harnessing Nigeria’s Marine Biodiversity for Accelerated Economic Growth.” Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Common Services, Office of the Head of the Civil Service, Dr. Bakare Wadinga, Oyo-Ita commended the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) for its initiatives to enhance human capital in the maritime sector and increase the industry’s contribution to the national economy.

She stated, “Nigeria has enormous potential for economic growth and prosperity by enhancing its economy through significant increase of economic activities around fisheries, aqua culture, marine tourism, development of ports and terminals, intra-city water-borne transportation, which would help create jobs, reduce poverty, and diversify our economic base.” 

Oyo-Ita added, “We need to create awareness on the potentials of the sea and ocean resources to catalyse our economic growth to enable us meet our sustainable development goals to conserve and sustainably use the seas and oceans to promote the restoration of our marine ecosystem.”

On his part, the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, stated that the 2019 celebration provided an opportunity to deliberate on the exploration of the enormous resources in Africa’s seas and oceans.

Dakuku stated, “Marine biodiversity, as you are aware, consists of the different species, their richness and abundance in the world’s oceans and seas. The sustainability of these diverse species, which are abounding in African seas and oceans, is not only important to us as Africans but also of a direct economic benefit to us as a nation.”

He disclosed that NIMASA was working with the different arms of government to formulate and implement relevant policies towards sustainable management of the marine environment.

“Let me inform you that NIMASA has concluded and forwarded to the executive arm of government: the Hong Kong Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, 2009; the Protocol on Limitation of Liability for maritime Claims (LLMC) and four other IMO instruments on marine environment management, for ratification,” he said.

The event featured paper presentations by President, Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA), Ghana, Jemilat Mahamah; Secretary-General of Abuja Memorandum of Understanding (Abuja MoU), Mrs. Mfon Usoro; environmental consultant, Professor Babajide Alo; and President, Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, Nigeria, Mr. Ibrahim Jibril.

The keynote paper by Mahamah was titled “Mainstreaming Gender For Sustainable Seas and Oceans Development: The African Agenda.”

The African Day of the Seas and Oceans was instituted by the African Union in 2015. It seeks to draw attention to the need for proper management of the marine resources for the development of the African continent.

Gbajabiamila: Nigeria Looks to Marine Resources for Economic Recovery

·        As NIMASA  hosts African Day of Seas and Oceans

·        Forwards 6 international instruments on blue economy for ratification

Nigeria’s rich maritime resources represent a vital economic safeguard and vehicle for the successful implementation of the President Muhammadu Buhari government’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), which must be sustainably tapped, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, has stated.

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Gbajabiamila said this on Thursday in Lagos at a ceremony hosted by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to mark this year’s African Day of Seas and Oceans, with the theme, “Harnessing Nigeria’s Marine Biodiversity for Accelerated Economic Growth.”

Speaking on the theme, which echoes the African Union (AU) subject for the 2019 African Day of Seas and Oceans, “Enhancing Africa’s Role in a Globally Binding Instrument on Marine Biological Diversity in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction”, the Speaker pledged that the legislature would support efforts by the executive to ensure sustainable management of the country’s vast marine resources.

That was as the Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, disclosed that the Agency had sent to the Federal Government for ratification six International Maritime Organisation (IMO) instruments as part of efforts to ensure sustainable management of the marine environment.

According to Gbajabiamila, who was represented by Hon. Linda Ikpeazu, “Efficient management and sustainable exploitation of the marine resources in our seas and oceans, no doubt, provide a veritable tool for our Economic Recovery and Growth Plan as a country and give expression to our sustainable development goals.”

He added, “We will support the sustainable governance of Nigeria’s seas and oceans and the efforts of the executive arm of government that would see the effective domestication of relevant international conventions of the International Maritime Organisation on marine environment management through legislative enactments.

“The National Assembly would also work with the executive arm in putting in place the necessary legal framework for the Blue Economy to engender and protect the Nigerian marine environment and development of the ocean economy.”

Dakuku, in his remarks, reiterated NIMASA’s critical focus on the development and protection of the marine environment, saying, “Our efforts in this area have been recognised by the International Maritime Organisation.”

He listed the marine environment management instruments forwarded to the government for ratification to include: the Hong Kong Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, 2009; International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Fishing Vessel Personnel; the Protocol Relating to Intervention on the High Seas in Cases of Oil Pollution Casualties Intervention), 1973; and Protocol on Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims (LLMC), 1996.

Speaking also, the Chairperson, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Common Services, Dr. Bakare Wadinga, said maritime security and development were a top priority of the Federal Government in the execution of the ERGP. 

The Chief Host, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Sabiu Zakari, said with Nigeria’s over 850 kilometres coastline, the country was blessed abundant resources to back its economic diversification and development drive. Zakari, who was represented by Director, Maritime Safety and Security in the ministry, Dr. Danjuma Dauda, also restated the government’s commitment to the development of the maritime sector.

The event featured paper presentations by President, Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA), Ghana, Jemilat Mahamah; Secretary-General of Abuja Memorandum of Understanding (Abuja MoU), Mrs. Mfon Usoro; environmental consultant, Professor Babajide Alo; and President, Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, Nigeria, Mr. Ibrahim Jibril.

Dignitaries at the event included the Director-General of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), Mr. Idris Musa; Rector, Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Commodore Duja Effedua; and Chairman, Shipowners Forum, Mrs. Margaret Orakwusi. There were also members of the Governing Board of NIMASA led by the Chairman, General Jonathan India Garba.

The African Union (AU) had set a 10-year period from 2015 to 2025 as the Decade of African Seas and Oceans, and July 25 as the African Day of seas and oceans.

Gbajabiamila, Oyo-Ita Lead Stakeholders To Lagos For African Day Of Seas And Oceans

·        As Dakuku Rallies Continent For Greater Role In  Marine Biodiversity

 Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, will on Thursday in Lagos lead other stakeholders, including Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo- Ita, and key maritime industry players, to the opening of activities marking this year’s African Day of Seas and Oceans. The occasion meant to highlight the potential and opportunities in the continent’s vast maritime domain, is organised by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).  

  

The event in Nigeria, themed, “Harnessing Nigeria’s Marine Biodiversity for Accelerated Economic Growth,” echoes the African Union (AU) subject for the 2019 African Day of Seas and Oceans, “Enhancing Africa’s Role in a Globally Binding Instrument on Marine Biological Diversity in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction.”

Ahead of the event, the host, Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, who is also Chairman of the Association of African Maritime Administrations (AAMA), emphasised the need to dismantle national boundaries that impede effective utilisation of Africa’s vast marine resources.

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Dakuku stated, “The importance of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction cannot be overemphasised, considering that Africa is greatly endowed with vast maritime resources and opportunities which must be harnessed for economic development and wealth creation.”

Dakuku further enphasised the essence of the event, while receiving the Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Oladele Bamidele Jaji, in preparation for the African Day of Seas and Oceans.

Speaking on the vital role of the Nigerian Navy, the NIMASA DG said without effective security it will be impossible to reap the benefits of the marine environment. He identified shipwreck as a major challenge of the Nigerian marine environment. But Dakuku said NIMASA was partnering with the Hydrographic Survey Department of the Navy to isolate, chart and mark wrecks with the support of the Agency’s Intelligence Information System, which has the capacity to capture every area of the Nigerian maritime domain.

Besides Gbajabiamila, who is the Guest of Honour, and Oyo- Ita, who is Chairperson, dignitaries expected at the occasion holding at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, include Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Sabiu Zakari, who is the Chief Host.

AU at its 22nd Ordinary Assembly declared 2015 to 2025 as the decade of African Seas and Oceans, and July 25 as African Day of Seas and Oceans.

TURNAROUND OF MARITIME, EL-RUFAI HAILS DAKUKU PETERSIDE

The Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has commended the efforts of the Director-General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, to develop the maritime sector and increase its contribution to the economy.  El-Rufai said Dakuku’s appointment as Director-General of NIMASA was one of the most skillful and opportune decisions by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration in its drive to revolutionise the maritime industry. He spoke at the weekend in a chat with journalists at the Kaduna State Government House.

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The governor said Dakuku had brought his wealth of experience and pragmatism to bear on the maritime sector, occasioning many reforms that have produced significant growth in the industry within a short period.

According to El-Rufai, “Dr. Dakuku is a vibrant young man who has brought a lot of reforms to the maritime industry. This is what you get when you appoint young and knowledgeable people and this appointment has brought a lot of gains to this administration.”

The governor said with the length of the Nigerian coastline, the country deserved more benefit from maritime. He added, “I know NIMASA, in collaboration with the Nigerian Ports Authority, headed by my former Chief Of Staff, Hadiza Bala Usman, is doing a lot to decongest the Apapa ports and we are proud of what they are doing so far. But we must also look at ways of building new ports to decongest Apapa.”

El-Rufai also commended the Buhari administration’s first term Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, whom he said had revolutionised the entire transport sector under difficult circumstances. He said Kaduna State was one of the beneficiaries of Amaechi’s vision, as the Abuja-Kaduna rail line, whose completion the former Rivers State Governor ensured, was now one of the busiest rail lines in the country.

He stated, “I do not recall any Minister of Transportation that has achieved as much in so little time, under very difficult circumstances as Hon. Amaechi has done. Kaduna State is one of the beneficiaries of his effort, because the Abuja-Kaduna rail that started more than 10 years ago was completed under his tenure.

“It was a single-minded focus on completing projects of benefit to the country that enabled that, and today, that train connection is one of the busiest and most patronised in Nigeria. For the first time Nigerians are seeing the advantage of having a functional rail system and he was also very influential to the appointments of Hadiza Bala Usman and Dakuku  Peterside and the maritime sector is better for those strategic appointments.”

Dakuku was appointed as Director-General of NIMASA in March 2016. Under his watch, a lot of reforms have been initiated, including the strategic New Cabotage Compliance Strategy, which has created more employment for Nigerians in the maritime sector and significantly grown the maritime sector’s contribution to both the Federation Account and the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

NIMASA TOPS CHART IN PORT, FLAG STATE CONTROL

Feat Attributed to Consistency in Reforms, Availability of Enforcement Vessels

In the continued pursuit of its mission of staying ahead of the game in maritime administration, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has topped the chart on Port and Flag State Control in the West and Central Africa Sub-Region. NIMASA outranked other maritime regulators in the region in the inspection of vessels calling at Nigeria’s ports, according to the latest report by the Abuja Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Port State Control for West and Central Africa Region, otherwise known as Abuja MoU. Abuja MoU is the apex regional treaty on port control.

Speaking on the feat, the Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, said it was part of the fruits of recent reforms initiated by the Agency and deliberate investment in enforcement equipment. “In NIMASA, we are conscious of global best practices and determined to rid our waterways of all substandard vessels, with the ultimate aim of ensuring a safe and robust maritime domain. This will afford us the capacity to be a competitive player in the global maritime space, giving us an edge in the comity of maritime investment destinations, ”Dakuku said.  

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The Abuja MoU, led by the Secretary-General, Mrs. Mfon Usoro, stated in the report that Nigeria dominated in detailed inspection of vessels, with 13 exercises out of the total 14 carried out in the continent in 2018. The report commended the country’s enforcement drive.

It showed a significant rise in recorded deficiencies across the continent, as 727 vessel deficiencies were recorded in 2018 as against 587 in 2017. This was attributed to increased enforcement exercises across the various regions, with Nigeria in the lead with 339 deficiencies. 

Usoro said an analysis of the MoU’s performance between 2010 and 2018 indicated an unbroken incremental improvement by member-nations’ administrations of the MoU in every aspect of Port State Control (PSC). She said this evidenced commitment by 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.

Dakuku pointed out that the excellent record posted by Nigeria was the result of recent transformational initiatives introduced by NIMASA, Abuja MoU’s administrator in Nigeria, and the availability of vessels for officers to carry out their enforcement duties.

While assuring the shipping community of the maximum support of NIMASA, Dakuku stated, “We will remain unwavering in our commitment to safety and innovation in line with global best standards, despite the challenges.

“The Agency has no intention of taking anyone out of business; rather we are here to assist ship operators by creating a conducive environment.”

He emphasised that the Agency will not fail to clamp down on erring operators “to safeguard the country’s maritime environment for the good of all.”

Following the international requirement for countries to inspect at least 15% of foreign vessels entering their domain, NIMASA inspected and surveyed over 600 vessels calling at Nigerian ports, an unprecedented feat showing the country is alive to its port state and flag state responsibilities. The increased inspection and survey has ensured that substandard vessels no longer call at Nigerian ports. It has improved safety on Nigerian waters and led to a reduction of vessels with deficiency from 18.99 % in 2015 to barely 14 % in 2018.

NIMASA has since the last three years engaged in deliberate efforts to protect the country’s maritime assets and environment by building up response capability under the deep blue sea project. The Agency has acquired special mission aircraft, special mission telecommunications gadgets, and 17 interceptor special mission vessels. It has also, in conjunction with the country’s security services, set up a Command and Control Centre, with a complement of armoured vehicles to patrol littoral states, and a standing military force to deal with criminal activities at sea.

The Abuja MoU on State Control was signed at a Ministerial Conference held in Abuja by 16 West and Central African States on October 22, 1999. The meeting was organised by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and hosted by the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Abuja MoU is the legal document under which countries of the region agreed to develop and implement a common mechanism for the respective port state control activities. The main work of the Abuja MoU is the harmonisation of the port state control procedure and practices of all the countries in the region. This is to eliminate the operation of substandard shipping within the region in order to ensure maritime safety, security, protection of the marine environment from pollution, and improvement in the working and living conditions of ship crew, as well as facilitate regional cooperation and exchange of information among member-states. 

Signatories to the MoU are Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Congo, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Liberia, Mauritania, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea Bissau, The Gambia, and Togo.   

MARITIME SAFETY: PRESIDENT BUHARI ASSENTS TO ANTI-PIRACY BILL

·        Nigeria First in W/Central Africa to Satisfy International Requirement on Piracy Law

·        Act Will Deter Maritime Criminalities, Boost Blue Economy – Dakuku

President Muhammadu Buhari has given his assent to the Suppression of Piracy and other Maritime Offences Bill, 2019, in an unprecedented move billed to bring a dramatic improvement in security on the country’s territorial waters and exclusive economic zone. The Presidential assent dated June 24, 2019 followed the passage of the bill by the Senate and House of Representatives on April 9, 2019 and April 30, 2019, respectively.

The bill passed by the Eighth National Assembly gives effect to the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 1982, and the International Convention on the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Navigation (SUA), 1988, and its Protocols.

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The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) had facilitated the drafting of the Suppression of Piracy and other Maritime Offences Bill in 2012, in collaboration with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). It was in a bid to give further credence to the relevant international treaties of the United Nations (UN) and IMO ratified by Nigeria on maritime safety and security and provide a much-needed legal and institutional framework for the country – through its maritime security enforcement agencies: the Nigerian Navy and NIMASA – to ensure safe and secure shipping on Nigerian waters, and prosecute infractions.

Besides addressing maritime insecurity, the new law, very importantly, fulfills the international requirement for standalone legislation on piracy, as against the approach of using the Maritime Operations Coordinating Board Amendment Bill to criminalise piracy.

With the Suppression of Piracy and other Maritime Offences Act, Nigeria has officially become the first country in the West and Central African Sub-Region to promulgate a separate law against piracy, an important international requirement set by the IMO as part of measures to guarantee secure global shipping.

Speaking after the Presidential assent, the Director-General of NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, described the move as a step in the right direction, saying, “It marks the dawn of a great moment for world maritime.”  

Dakuku said, “This is not just a victory for NIMASA, but also for all the stakeholders in the Nigerian maritime community. We are determined to continue to deliver on our promise to investors and the international community to ensure an increasingly safer and more secure environment for profitable maritime business.

“And the new law at this very critical stage of our Blue Economy drive is certainly an elixir that will boost our capacity to harness the rich potential of our seas and oceans.”  

The NIMASA DG thanked the President for “his commitment and passion for measures that will guarantee safety and security on Nigerian waters.” He also appreciated the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) for their support. Dakuku assured that the Agency will continue to work with relevant partners and organisations to achieve its aim of ridding the country’s waterways and exclusive economic zone of criminal activities.

“No man is an island; hence NIMASA cannot achieve much without the support of other stakeholders. This is the time we all need to work more closely together, so that we don’t give room to criminals to have their way in our maritime domain,” he added.

Some of the significant provisions of the Act include a distinct definition of piracy and other maritime offences/unlawful acts; punishment upon conviction for maritime crimes; restitution to owners of violated maritime assets or forfeiture of proceeds of maritime crime to the Federal Government; and establishment of a Piracy and Maritime Offences Fund with prescribed sources of funding that will be utilised in the implementation of the Act.  

The new law also vests exclusive jurisdiction for the determination of matters under the Act on the Federal High Court. It empowers relevant authorities mentioned under the Act to seize vessels or aircraft used for maritime crimes anywhere in Nigeria and in international waters or in the jurisdiction of any country where the ship is reasonably believed to be a pirate-controlled ship or aircraft.

Oil Drilling Operations: Court Order Will Create More Jobs – Dakuku

 Sees Boost in Maritime, Cabotage Benefits

·        Oil Rigs are Classified Vessels, Says Court Judgement

The Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has commended the judgement of the Federal High Court in the case involving Seadrill Mobile Unit Nigeria Limited and the Federal Ministry of Transportation (FMOT), which confirmed NIMASA’s right to collect fees from drilling operations. NIMASA was later joined as a necessary party in the suit originally instituted by Seadrill Mobile Unit Nigeria Limited against the FMOT.

Dakuku said the judgement was “yet another landmark attempt by the judiciary to set the record straight and boost implementation of our Cabotage law, while generating opportunities for jobs.”

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The suit instituted by Seadrill Mobile Unit Nigeria Limited was to determine whether drilling operations fell within the definitions of “Coastal Trade” and “Cabotage” under the Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage) Act, and whether on a proper interpretation of the Cabotage Act, drilling operations fell within the definition of “vessels” under the Act.

On the first issue, the court, presided by Justice Babs Keuwumi, ruled that drilling operations fell within the ambit of exploration, exploitation, or transportation of the mineral or non-living natural resources of Nigeria, whether in or under Nigerian waters, as provided under the definition of coastal trade in the Cabotage Act.

Similarly, the court held that the combined reading of the Admiralty Jurisdiction Act, Interpretation Act, and Cabotage Act meant that drilling rigs fell under the definition of vessel under the Cabotage Act.

Having determined the two questions in the affirmative, the court granted NIMASA leave to collect all outstanding payment of the 2% Cabotage surcharge from owners of drilling rigs and associated platforms.

The implication of the judgement is that oil rigs operating on Nigerian waters are subject to the provisions of the Cabotage Act.

Reacting to the judgement, Dakuku said it marked the opening of an important opportunity for job, incomes, and economic growth. He appealed to persons engaged in inland trade to pay their Cabotage fees and reaffirmed the Agency’s commitment to the enthronement of global best practices in the Nigerian maritime sector.

Dakuku said, “The Cabotage Act is very clear and it has again been interpreted and confirmed by the court. We expect that with this judgement, all parties will obey the court order and do the needful. It is all for the growth of the Nigerian maritime sector and the country’s economy at large.

“On our part, as a responsible Agency, we will continue to sensitise stakeholders, because every craft that is engaged in Coastal and Inland Trade must pay the Cabotage fees.”

The DG reiterated the determination of the Agency to end the Cabotage Waiver regime in the next five years. He said measures had been put in place by the Agency, in collaboration with stakeholders in the sector, to achieve a seamless waiver cessation.

Section 2(d) of the Cabotage Act provides that Coastal Trade or Cabotage means the engaging by vessel in any marine transportation activity of a commercial nature in Nigerian waters and the carriage of any goods or substances whether or not commercial nature within the waters of Nigeria.

NIMASA is the government Agency responsible for regulating and promoting shipping activities as enshrined in the NIMASA Act, 2007.