Within 100 days in office, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), has taken maritime security to the next level. Dr Jamoh who assumed office with avowed determination to tackle headlong the issue of insecurity in the Nigerian maritime sector, which had given Nigeria a very bad name in the international maritime circles, has sent strong signal to criminals on the Nigerian territorial waters that they are in for a raw deal. With the active collaboration of security agencies in the country, he has drawn the battle line, and is set to deal with any criminal that dares cross the line.
Already, the Nigerian Navy has apprehended 10 pirates of Nigerian origin, while the Nigeria Police has nabbed 17 suspected sea pirates. According to Dr. Jamoh, this is the first time in four years that such arrests were made on the Nigerian territorial waters. He said that these suspects would be charged to court very soon.
Dr. Jamoh who revealed this at the weekend in Lagos at a parley with some media executives drawn from print, broadcast and online platforms, stated that the arrests have sent the right signal to the international community that Nigeria is taking the issue of maritime security very seriously, and would not spare any resources to secure Nigerian territorial waters and make it safe for all legitimate maritime activities. He declared that: “Buoyed by the determination of our willing, able and ready Nigerian Navy, Marine Police, and other security agencies, Nigeria is adopting a whatever-it-takes posture in the fight against every watery menace as we shall no longer fold our arms and watch trespassers perpetrate illegalities”.
His effort so far in securing the Nigerian territorial waters has not passed unnoticed by the international maritime community. Recognising his effort, Kitack Lim, Secretary General of International Maritime Organisation (IMO), early this month wrote to him, commending him for his leadership and proactive response to the issue of security threats in the Nigerian territorial waters. Lim said the actions taken so far, and other programmes he is pursuing, including the Deep Blue Project, send a strong and valuable message to the international community with respect to the considerable efforts he is making to curb piracy and armed robbery against ships in the Gulf of Guinea.
Outlining other measures that NIMASA under his watch is pursuing to strengthen security on the Nigerian territorial waters, Dr. Jamoh said the agency has ensured improved relationship with the Nigerian Navy, Nigeria Police, Department of State Security and other stakeholders, and this has led to the adoption of a holistic and integrated approach to maritime security. He also said that so far, 156 personnel drawn from the Nigerian Navy, NIMASA, Nigerian Ports Authority, Nigeria Police and Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, have been trained on the enforcement of the Piracy Act enacted by the country. He added that working groups have been created with international stakeholders which comprise Inter-tanker, Inter-cargo, multinational oil companies, and Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO), with a view to strengthening security on the Nigerian territorial waters.
Apart from maritime security, NIMASA under Dr. Jamoh’s watch, is aggressively pursuing other programmes of the agency which are grouped under Maritime Safety and Shipping Development. Dr. Jamoh has recorded impressive achievements in these areas in his 100 days in office.
For instance, NIMASA is intensifying efforts towards the actualization of the Deep Blue Project despite the disruptive challenges posed by Covid-19 pandemic. In the area of Shipping Development, Dr. Jamoh said “we have concluded the review of the guideline for the disbursement of the Cabotage Vessel Financing so that the banks can get the funds which individuals can access and increase indigenous ownership and rapidly increase fleet expansion.
In an effort to increase its revenue generation and collection, NIMASA’s current executive management led by Dr. Jamoh has, in its 100 days in office, put in place proactive measures to block revenue leakages arising from under-declaration, and non-declaration by various shipping entities. This is positioning the agency to attain its funding targets, which will in turn help the agency to deliver on its mandate.