NIGERIA SECURING MORE SEA TIME FOR CADETS, DESPITE COVID-19

…NSDP Progressing As Planned-Jamoh

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has made significant progress in securing sea time berths for cadets trained under the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP), despite the limitations of the coronavirus pandemic. Director-General of the Agency, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, disclosed this in Lagos following a recent three-month extension granted the 400 Nigerian seafarers undertaking sea time in different parts of the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Dr. Bashir Jamoh

DG. NIMASA

The three-month programme leading to the award of Certificate of Competency (CoC) to beneficiaries, was extended for another three months by NIMASA, in the first instance, to enable the seafarers complete their training amid the global lockdowns caused by the pandemic. 

Jamoh stated that despite the outbreak of COVID-19, the Agency had intensified efforts to secure sea time opportunities for a good number of the trained cadets across the globe. 

He stated, “In the first quarter of 2020 alone we secured sea time berths for over 550 cadets in various countries for the three months programme leading to the issuance of CoCs. However, due to the pandemic, we extended their sponsorship for another three months, which comes with additional cost, and we are still looking to extend it further as we continue to monitor the pandemic and how it affects the programme.” 

The NIMASA DG stated that the Agency was in constant touch with Nigerian embassies in the beneficiaries’ host countries as well as the students themselves and their leaders to monitor their situations and guard against anything that could keep them stranded in a foreign country.

“We have adapted our approaches to the peculiar conditions of the different countries where we have Nigerian seafarers on sea time training,” Jamoh said, adding, “The feedbacks from the students’ leaders in the various countries have been very encouraging.”

He disclosed that another set of NSDP cadets had been approved for training, but their enrolment was on hold due to the global pandemic. 

Jamoh said the problem of sea time training, which is one of the biggest challenges of seafarers, was gradually being resolved.

The NSDP was initiated by NIMASA in 2008 to deal with the dearth of trained and certified seafarers in Nigeria. So far the programme has graduated over 2,000 cadets and many of them have undergone sea time and are currently in the employ of various international shipping lines. 

NIMASA KEY IN STOPPING COUNTRY’S OIL DEPENDENCE – GOV DIRI

·        Says Nigeria’s Future Lies in Maritime Development 

Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Duoye Diri, says the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) is key in efforts to wean Nigeria from its dependence on crude oil, stressing that the most enduring wealth of the country is in maritime. Diri stated this on Monday in Lagos, when he paid a courtesy visit to the headquarters of NIMASA. He said the country’s future depended on the successful harnessing of the enormous resources in its marine environment. 

Director General, Nigeria Maritime Administration & Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dr Bashir Jamoh with the Executive Governor of Bayelsa State, His Excellency, Senator Duoye Diri, during the visit of the Governor to the NIMASA headquarters in Lagos

Diri appealed to NIMASA to increase its presence in Bayelsa State, especially in the area of domain awareness, to ensure security in the state’s maritime environment and build confidence in investments in the state’s huge maritime potential. 

The governor, who was received by the NIMASA Director-General, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, and the Executive Management team, said, “A lot of countries are moving away from fossil fuel and maritime gives Nigeria an alternative. All the eight local governments in our state can be accessed by water. In fact, the headquarters of three of these local governments can only be reached by water. This shows how important our state is to maritime development. 

“We are, therefore, seeking partnership with NIMASA, which is the apex maritime regulatory agency of our country, to expand her regulatory activities to our state.”

Diri said, “NIMASA and Bayelsa are inextricably one,” and there was need for both to work together to strengthen the country’s maritime domain. 

He appealed to NIMASA to help in the removal of wrecks that had impaired navigation in many parts of the coastal state.   

The governor requested NIMASA’s support to the government in its attempt to develop the state’s maritime potential. He sought the Agency’s partnership in the areas of training and youth development, establishment of a maritime academy in the state, and development of the Agge Deep Seaport in Ekeremor Local Government Area.

Responding, the NIMASA Director-General said Bayelsa State was one of the Agency’s strongest allies in the pursuit of its mandate of sustainable regulation and promotion of the maritime sector. He said security was of utmost importance in the realisation of a prosperous maritime sector, adding that he would facilitate the incorporation of Bayelsa State in the ongoing effort to integrate the maritime domain awareness facilities of relevant stakeholders, including NIMASA’s C4i, Nigerian Navy’s Falcon Eye, Nigerian Ports Authority’s C3i, and the i247 of the Nigeria Police.

Jamoh stated, “Bayelsa State holds the key to the growth of our economy because a huge part of our coastline falls within the state. Thankfully, the issue of wreck removal has been sorted out and we have concluded the marking and identification of all wrecks and derelicts across the country for removal.”

The DG assured the governor of the Agency’s support “in terms of maritime growth and we will look into expanding our office in Bayelsa in order to have more presence in the state.”   

Crude Affreightment: NIMASA Revives Move to Change Terms of Trade

·        Seeks new maritime security strategy

 

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has revived efforts to change the Terms of Trade for the affreightment of Nigerian crude oil from Free on Board (FOB) to Cost Insurance and Freight (CIF).

R-L: Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh making a presentation to the Group General Manager, Crude Oil Marketing Division, NNPC, Sir Billy Okoye during a courtesy visit by NNPC to the Agency in Lagos recently.

Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, disclosed this in Lagos, when he received a delegation from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) led by the newly appointed Group General Manager, Crude Oil Marketing Division, NNPC, Sir Billy Okoye.

Jamoh, who had recently paid a similar working visit to the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mele Kyari, at the corporation’s headquarters in Abuja, expressed NIMASA’s appreciation of NNPC for accommodating the Agency’s interests in transactions where the maritime regulator relied on data from the national oil company.

The NIMASA DG also revealed that the Agency was working towards the implementation of a National Maritime Security Strategy to improve security in Nigerian waters and reduce the cost of shipping.

“Since 2018, NIMASA has championed moves for a change in the terms of trade with regard to transportation of Nigerian crude oil, from FOB to CIF to ensure greater benefits for the country from its oil resources,” the Director-General stated. “A technical committee involving NIMASA, NNPC, and other stakeholders would be set up to develop a template for the desired change, with workable timelines,” he added.

Under FOB trade terms, Nigeria has no reasonable control over the delivery of its crude oil as regards carriage, insurance, and other ancillary services. But under the CIF arrangement, the country maintains ample control over the distribution of its oil, which can be leveraged to enhance the competitive advantage of indigenous operators.

 

Jamoh commended the synergy between NNPC and NIMASA, saying, “Seventy per cent of the Agency’s revenue comes through the sale of crude. Thus, cooperation between NNPC and NNPC cannot be over-emphasised.”

The NIMASA Director-General also disclosed, “The Maritime Intelligence Unit recently established by the Agency is part of efforts to ensure a proactive approach to security in our waters. The focus is to try to nip maritime attacks in the bud by tracking the criminals from the pre-planning and planning stages.

“The ultimate aim is to develop a National Maritime Security Strategy that would help to minimise the cost of insecurity, which NNPC bears on behalf of the country, in the shipment of Nigerian crude.”

The DG recalled NNPC’s grant of the Agency’s requests and generous pledge of cooperation during his recent visit to the corporation and prayed for the continuation of such mutual understanding.

He stated, “We appreciate the NNPC for accommodating NIMASA in its processes. We do not delay vessels in the search for information on them because of the confidence we have in NNPC’s capacity to readily supply such information.”

The Director-General appealed for more local content in the transportation of the country’s crude in line with the Cabotage regime.

While addressing the meeting earlier, Okoye declared that NIMASA was a “critical stakeholder in the business of crude oil sale.” He said his goal was to get the two agencies of government interfacing more closely with each other to resolve challenges and ensure seamless movement of crude and petroleum products in the country.

 

Nigeria, Korea Pledge to Deepen Cooperation in Shipping

Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh, in an elbow bump with the Consul General, Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Nigeria, Kim In-Taek, after a meeting in Lagos.

Nigeria and South Korea have agreed to intensify their collaboration in trade and shipping development. This was disclosed in Lagos during a meeting between the Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh, and Consul General, Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Nigeria, Kim In-Taek.

Consul General, Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Nigeria, Kim In-Taek, making a presentation to the Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh, after a meeting in Lagos.

Both countries have maintained good maritime and trade relations since the 1980s. But Jamoh and In-Taek said there was need to expand the relationship in line with global economic dynamics.  

The NIMASA Director-General told newsmen after the meeting with the South Korean envoy that development of Nigeria’s maritime potential was a critical element of President Muhammadu Buhari’s economic diversification agenda. He said the Republic of Korea was an important partner in the effort to harness the enormous treasures of Nigeria’s marine environment.       

Jamoh stated, “There is a great deal of interest in harnessing our rich maritime resources and potential as new sources of government revenue under the Nigerian government’s economic diversification drive. We see South Korea as very important here.

“The relationship between the two countries dates back to the 1980s. We have been together on trade, power, and energy. And in the meeting I had with In-Taek, we discussed possible areas of cooperation in terms of ship repairs and ship recycling and we agreed that we will continue to improve on trade cooperation.”

The Director-General added, “To consolidate on the already existing relationship and increase our trade and maritime cooperation, especially in the areas of shipbuilding, ship repairs, and ship recycling, among other aspects of shipping development, there needs to be more effort from both countries.

“Interestingly, we are agreed on the need to improve cooperation in these areas.”

The Director-General reiterated that shipping development was part of his administration’s three-point agenda, which also includes maritime safety and maritime security.

In-Taek, in his own remarks, described NIMASA as a very important organisation, saying Korea is willing to develop a good relationship with the Nigerian maritime sector.

He said, “Nigeria has the potential because it is a leading country, not only in the shipping area, but also in other businesses in Africa. Nigeria has a big economy, with the population as an added advantage in the continent, hence, the Koreans can do business with Nigeria successfully.”  

In-Taek, who is nearing the end of his two-year tenure in Nigeria, thanked the Korean authorities for giving him the opportunity to serve in Nigeria. He called on the NIMASA Director-General to extend the cooperation accorded him to his successor.

Korea is a leading shipbuilder in the world, accounting for nearly 40 per cent of global ship orders.

Jamoh: Inter-agency Collaboration Surest Route to Maritime Security

·        Visits Comptroller-General of Immigration

Intensifying the quest for cooperation among relevant government agencies in a bid to secure Nigeria’s maritime domain, the Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh, has visited Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Muhammed Babandede, in Abuja, with a declaration that teamwork was the surest means to security.  

Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Muhammed Babandede making a presentation to the Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh during a working visit by NIMASA DG and his team to the NIS in Abuja recently.

 

L-R: Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh; Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Muhammed Babandede; Executive Director, Maritime Labour & Cabotage Services of NIMASA, Barr. Victor Ochei and a senior officer in the Nigeria Immigration Service, during a working visit by NIMASA to the NIS in Abuja recently.

Jamoh, who was at the NIS headquarters on a working visit, said the immigration service was a critical stakeholder in the security apparatus of the country. He said the service was also key in the implementation of the Cabotage law, which seeks to empower Nigerians in the maritime sector.  

The Director-General stated, “We need to interface and synergise to achieve our common goal of national security. Immigration is key to the success of the country’s maritime imperatives in many ways.

“Many of the criminal activities that take place in our waters emanate from land, and NIS is a very important element in any effort to nip such crimes in the bud.”

Jamoh added, “Collaboration with the NIS is crucial in the achievement of the objectives of the Cabotage Act. Such partnership will go a long way in reducing inter-agency conflicts that often arise from the overlap of functions.

“There are provisions in the immigration law, for instance, that empower the NIS to grant work permits to expatriates, and some of these expatriates work as seafarers. But, then, according to one of the four legs of the Cabotage regime, expatriates are not meant to man our ships, except where their expertise is needed for such operation. And their services can only be engaged after a waiver has been granted by the exclusive permission of the Minister of Transportation.

“To avoid any conflicts that may arise from a situation, where, for instance, a seafarer had obtained a work permit from the immigration but is not qualified to function as a seafarer within the Nigerian maritime domain, collaboration between NIMASA and NIS is necessary. This will help to harmonise the seemingly overlapping laws and forestall unnecessary rancour or squabbling among officers of the two agencies.”

Jamoh said NIMASA was currently enjoying such synergy with sister organisations, like the Nigerian Navy, Nigeria Police, and Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).  

“So far, we have recorded tremendous successes in our various mandates through such collaboration,” he said. “One of the most notable is the recent arrest of suspected pirates, which was made possible by information and intelligence sharing.”

Responding, Babandede expressed the readiness of the NIS to partner with NIMASA to curb illegal migration and piracy. He disclosed that NIS had started making use of the Migration Information and Data Analysis System (MIDAS), a comprehensive border management information system developed by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). The Comptroller-General said MIDAS was designed with the capability to collect, process, store, and analyse traveller information, especially the biometrics and profile, in real time for the purpose of identification, verification, and authentication of documents.

He said MIDAS had been installed in about 24 locations across the country’s land borders, airports, and seaports. They include the International airports in Abuja, Enugu, Lagos, and Kano; and land borders in Ogun, Cross River, Kastina, Jigawa, Kebbi, and Zamfara states.

Jamoh was accompanied on the visit by NIMASA’s Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services, Victor Ochei, and Abuja Zonal Office Coordinator, Mr. Zailani Musa Attah.

NIMASA GOVERNING BOARD APPROVES THE PROMOTION OF 9 DIRECTORS, 586 OTHERS

NIMASA GOVERNING BOARD APPROVES THE PROMOTION OF 9 DIRECTORS, 586 OTHERS

Dr. Bashir Jamoh

DG. Nimasa

The Governing Board of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has approved the promotion of 595 staff, including nine Directors. The promotions were approved at a meeting of the Board in Lagos chaired by Hon. Asita O. Asita.

Nine Deputy Directors were elevated to substantive Directors on Grade Level 17, while 45 Assistant Directors were promoted to Deputy Directors, and 71 Grade Level 14 officers were promoted to Assistant Directors.

Those promoted to Directors are the Agency's Head, ISPS Unit, Jidda Aishatu; Head, Marine Accident Investigation Unit, Egbuche Rita; Head, Eastern Zone, Audu Sani; and Head, Internal Audit, Olamide Odusanya.

Others are Head, HSE Unit, Dr. Anselm Nwanze; Head, Legal Services Unit, Egejuru Victor; Head, SERVICOM, Bolaji Kehinde; Head, Reform Coordination Unit, Kabiru Murnai; and Head, Marine Environment Management Department, Dr. Felicia Mogo.

The Agency’s spokesman, Phillip Kyanet, is among the newly promoted Deputy Directors.

Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, congratulated the promoted staff and charged them to bring their wealth of knowledge and experience to bear on their new positions.

Jamoh stated, “To whom much is given, much is expected. This promotion is intended to reinvigorate the attitude of staff to work and bring about more commitment towards transforming the fortunes of the maritime sector.”

He added that well-motivated staff are the driving force for the maritime industry transformation for economic development.

NIMASA Assures Dockworkers of Improved Welfares

·        Meets NJIC on Collective Bargaining Agreement

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has assured stakeholders of its commitment to the protection of the rights and welfare of dockworkers as guaranteed in the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Decent Work Agenda. The Agency’s Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services, Mr. Victor Ochei, gave the assurance in Lagos during a meeting of the National Joint Industrial Council (NJIC).

L-R: President General, Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Comrade Adewale Adeyanju; Rep of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mr. Charles Okaga; Rep of Chairman, Seaports Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN), Otunba Kunle Folarin, Executive Director, Maritime Labour  & Cabotage Services (ED ML&CS), NIMASA, Mr. Victor Ochei; Rep of Federal Ministry of Labour & Employment, Mrs Joyce Udoinwang and President, National Association of Stevedoring Companies, Mr Bolaji Sunmola during the National Joint Industrial Council (NJIC) meeting on the Collective Bargaining Agreement for dock workers held in Lagos recently.  

The meeting discussed a revised minimum wage and improved living standard for dockworkers through the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) initiative endorsed by NIMASA and NJIC in 2018.

Ochei stated, “Dockworkers are integral to efficient and effective stevedoring operation and the NJIC has remained resolute in ensuring harmonious working relationships through the principle of tripartism and the execution of Collective Bargaining Agreements on minimum standards for the dock labour industry.”

Ochei, who is also Chairman of NJIC, extoled the efforts of the dockworkers to keep the maritime industry afloat, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. He said NIMASA was determined to ensure the dockworkers got what was due to them. 

The Executive Director called on the council members to cooperate with NIMASA towards ensuring meaningful negotiations that would culminate in the signing of another CBA. He stated that the Agency had made necessary arrangements for successful council proceedings.

He added that the success of the exercise would further demonstrate Nigeria’s compliance and commitment to the ideals of the ILO Decent Work Agenda, which seeks to promote safe work, decent wage, and freedom of association.

The representative of the Federal Ministry of Labour, Mrs. Joyce Udoinwang, expressed the Ministry’s commitment to the welfare of dockworkers, assuring of its resolve to ensure no dockworker in Nigeria is short-changed. Udoinwang appealed for more cooperation from all the parties involved in the tripartite agreement. 

President-General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, in his own remarks, commended NIMASA for midwifing the CBA, saying it has ensured industrial harmony and peace in the maritime industry. Adeyanju disclosed that the NJIC would reconvene in the next few weeks to deliberate and agree on new wages for dockworkers. He called for the cooperation of the terminal operators and employers of dock labour to ensure the attainment of the Decent Work Agenda.

“So far so good, the terminal operators and employers of dock labour are doing their best, but so much can still be done to better the welfare of their workers,” Adeyanju said.

Speaking also at the meeting, the representative of the Seaports Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN), Otunba Kunle Folarin, applauded NIMASA for its role over the years to promote peace and harmonious labour relations in the industry. Folarin said NJIC would cooperate with the Agency to sustain peace and sanity at the ports.  

Other members of the NJIC, who were at the meeting, included the representative of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mr. Charles Okaga, and President of National Association of Stevedoring Companies (NASC), Mr. Bolaji Sunmola. Both assured of their support towards improved welfare for seafarers. 

It would be recalled that in 2018, NJIC signed a Collective Bargaining Agreement with NIMASA that elapsed on May 31, 2020. The CBA, which is for a two-year period, is intended to ensure industrial peace in the maritime industry. It involves requirements for the fair treatment of dockworkers, principally, making sure every employee gets an employment letter and a package of terminal benefits when their contract expires.