The United States Coast Guard (USCG) has said that it will work with the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to review the compliance level of Nigeria ports with the provisions of the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code.
A Commercial Vessel Compliance Deputy of the U.S. Coast Guard, Cdr. Juliet Hudson, said this while receiving a delegation of NIMASA at the USCG headquarters in Washington DC.
“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,” Hudson was quoted as saying in a press release issued by NIMASA on Friday.
In a separate development, NIMASA Director General Dr. Bashir Jamoh, who received a USCG delegation led by one Lt. Benjamin Montz, on Friday, said the agency would continue to prioritise safety and security on Nigerian waters.
While acknowledging the support from the U.S. government in seeing to the implementation of ISPS Code in Nigeria, Jamoh noted that any support to Nigeria should be extended to other countries in the Gulf of Guinea.
“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.
The NIMASA helmsman called on the USCG to also assist training the agency’s personnel, noting that a gap analysis will be done and synchronised with the USCG in order to give the right training to the right personnel.
The leader of the USCG delegation, Lt. Benjamin Montz, said they are in Nigeria as part of their plans to support NIMASA 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 Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) 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 safe and secured waterways in the country.
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