Maritime Security: NIMASA set to launch Deep Blue Project

Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), has said it will soon launch its deep blue project aimed at tackling insecurity within the country’s maritime corridors.

This is as the agency concluded arrangements to train 250 Nigerian cadets as part of its capacity building in the maritime sector.

Special assistant to the NIMASA Director-General on Communications and Strategy, Ubong Essien, disclosed this while speaking with newsmen in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

Essien, described the Deep Blue Project as the nation’s integrated surveillance and security architecture in the maritime industry saying that the project includes air, maritime and human assets.

He stated that in the area of human assets of the project, there were well-trained special forces drawn from the Nigerian Navy, the Nigerian Army and other security agencies to support the programme.

Essien said: “The Deep Blue Project is the nation’s integrated surveillance and security architecture in the maritime industry. Integrated in the sense that NIMASA is investing in the air assets, such as three special mission helicopters, two special mission aircraft, four unmanned air vehicles, drones.

“Then, in maritime asset, there are two special mission vessels known as DB Abuja and DB Lagos, well-equipped to be out there on the high seas, patrolling our waters with a capacity to deploy about 17 fast-moving interceptor boats.

“Those boats are designed for expeditious purposes. Should there be any crisis, should there be any development requiring a swift response, they can be deployed so that intervention can come in good time.

“Then, we have human assets where we have well trained special forces from the various arms; from the Navy, the Army and other security agencies. That is why it is integrated; we are all working together.

“Then, of course, we have what we call the C4i, which has to do with intelligence gathering centre, wherewith an assemblage of computer network, NIMASA has the capability of monitoring activities.

“So, through the C4i we are able to monitor what goes on the sea online in real-time. In a matter of weeks, this project is going to be launched.”

Speaking on the training of Nigerian cadets, Essien stated that it was is in line with agencies mandate of developing capacity for the Nigerian maritime industry adding that in keeping with one of the three performance pillars of the Director-General, Dr Bashir Jamoh, known as Shipping Development.

Essien on behalf of the DG of stated that at the inception of his administration in March 2020, the DG outlined a Triple ‘S’ agenda of Maritime Security, Maritime Safety and Shipping Development.

He said that the NIMASA boss was committed to ensuring that adequate capacity for the industry was built to ensure economic prosperity through the maritime domain.

While some of the cadets are due for sea-time training, others will undergo the mandatory Certificate of Competence (CoC) and will be trained in the Philippines, UK and Romania.

According to the Agency, these 250 cadets represent just the first of three batches planned for future training.
The Eastern Zonal Coordinator and Director, Mallam Sani Audu who was the host of the parley encouraged the media to engage more with the agency at the zonal level in order to educate the Nigerian public on some of the major interventions.

He highlighted the zone’s efforts in the area of removal of water hyacinth to ensure safer navigational channels for ships and vessels and marine litter and plastics clearing for the restoration of the cleanness of the waters in the zone at various hotspot locations.

He identified some of the hotspots as Okutukutu in Yenagoa, Port Harcourt to Bonny axis, Otamiri-Nworie River in Imo State, Epie-Oxbow creek in Yenagoa, Otubhi-Elebele Ogbia, Idundu-Calabar axis in Cross River and Ikot Abasi in Akwa Ibom.

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