The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Bashir Jamoh, has announced an increase of 43.6 per cent in condition survey for Flag Registration by the Agency in year 2021 as against the performance in year 2020.
This is even as the agency also recorded an improved Port State Control (PSC) implementation in year 2021 with 24.2 per cent higher than the PSC inspections of year 2020.
Dr Jamoh, who disclosed this during a media interactive session in Lagos recently, noted that despite the challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, the Agency ensured improved Port and Flag State Administration in accordance with the safety requirements of the Merchant Shipping Act 2007.
A breakdown of the figures shows that in 2020, the Agency carried out condition survey of vessels under Flag Registration for 276 vessels, while in 2021, the figure increased to 489, representing a 43.6 per cent improvement.
Port State Control implementation by NIMASA in year 2021 was assessed onboard 673 vessels which was a marked improvement on the 510 vessels boarded for Port State inspection in year 2020, representing a 24.2 per cent increment.
Jamoh also disclosed that the Agency reactivated the online portal for stakeholders to verify Nigerian Certificate(s) of Competency (CoC) from any part of the world.
“The online certificate verification platform was reactivated last year to reduce falsification of Nigerian Seafarers Certificate and enhance the employment of Nigerian Seafarers.
“We experienced rejection of Nigerian Seafarers both locally and internationally and the Agency decided to introduce the online certificate verification platform which allows ship owners to easily authenticate CoC’s from the comfort of their electronic devices,” the NIMASA DG stated.
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While raising concern over the percentage of failures recorded for Nigerian seafarers who sat for the Certificate of Competency examination last year, Dr Jamoh announced that the Agency has commenced investigation into the immediate and remote causes of the trend with a view to addressing it holistically.
NIMASA said in 2021, it signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Maritime Transport Coordination Centre (MTCC), for capacity development to address the need for reduction of Green House Gas emission in the maritime industry with emphasis on achieving 0.5 per cent sulphur oxide in bunker fuel.
The Agency also carried out 20 marine accident investigations in 2021, as against 18 in the year 2020, while also enforcing safety regulations on barges and tugboats under the code name Operation Sting Ray.
The NIMASA helmsman revealed further that the Agency took delivery of more Deep Blue Project Assets, which was flagged-off by President Muhammadu Buhari, adding that some of these assets have been deployed to the Nigerian Navy for its operational use.
“The Agency is collaborating with major international stakeholders in the maritime sector in other to entrench coordinated response to piracy and other criminalities on the Nigerian waters and prompt reportage and escalation of marine incidences to where action is most expected and to provide navigational advisory to mariners”, Jamoh added.
He further assured that in 2022, the Agency would consolidate on the gains of the past years, with improved collaboration with all stakeholders in the industry, aimed at utilising ocean-based resources for the good of the Nigerian economy.
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