The United States Coast Guard USCG, has offered Nigeria a three-year plan to work with the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA for the removal of the Condition of Entry (CoE), placed on American-bound vessels from Nigeria.
Cdr. Juliet Hudson at the USCG headquarters in Washington DC
disclosed this during a peer review visit by a delegation from NIMASA. Hudson
announced a bi-annual assessment of compliance level with ISPS implementation
at Nigerian Ports working with NIMASA.
In her words, “We will work with NIMASA to review the
compliance level of Ports in Nigeria with the provisions of the ISPS Code. This
will be done twice a year to enable us update the Port Advisory Security Portal
in the White House after which a decision will be taken to completely lift the
Condition of Entry. We commend NIMASA for ISPS implementation and please
deliver this award to your DG,” she said.
Meanwhile, the NIMASA Director General Dr. Bashir Jamoh, OFR
today received in audience, USCG Advisor, Lt. Benjamin Montz who led a
delegation to NIMASA. Jamoh stated that the Agency would continue to prioritise
safety and security on the Nigerian waters ways in order to realise the mandate
of the Blue Economy.
While acknowledging the support from the American Government
in seeing to the implementation of ISPC in Nigeria, the NIMASA DG noted that
any support to Nigeria should be extended to other countries in the Gulf of
Guinea.
He said that Nigeria plays a vital role in the Gulf of
Guinea (GoG), hence called on the USCG to extend support to countries in the
GoG region in order to consolidate the gains of the Deep Blue Project in the
region, whilst also bolstering the existing ties in the region.
“Nigeria is a major stakeholder in the Gulf of Guinea; you
will agree with me that most of the activities in the region revolves around
Nigeria. “We acknowledge the support you have been giving us; we request that
you extend it to other countries in the GoG, as a chain is only as strong as
its weakest link, and all credit goes to the United States Government”. Jamoh
said.
Speaking further, the NIMASA helmsman called on the USCG to assist in the area of training the Agency’s personnel, noting that a gap analysis will be done, and then synchronise with the USCG in order to give the right training to the right personnel.
Earlier in his remarks, the leader of the delegation from
the USCG, Lt. Benjamin Montz noted that they are in Nigeria as part of their
plans to support the Agency in the area of training, while also collaborating
with Agency to improve safety and security in the country’s maritime sector,
with particular reference to port operations in Nigeria.
NIMASA is the Designated Authority responsible for the
implementation of the International Ships and Ports Security (ISPS) facility
code in Nigeria. Over the years, the Agency has continued to collaborate with
relevant stakeholders to achieve its mandate, with the United States Coast
Guard providing the required support and assistance towards the realisation of
safer and more secured waterways in Nigeria, and by extension the Gulf of
Guinea