NMARITIME SAFETY: NIMASA, Navy, Air Force Alliances And The Alternatives

Available local and international statistics are scary enough to underscore the economic and social dangers that are faced by victims of piracy or sea robbery.
The figures are indeed scary, more so now that the menace is no longer targeted at fishing  trawlers, but on ships laden with  refined and crude oil as well as on dry cargo ships.

The International Maritime Bureau’s recent report on Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships, Nigeria and Indonesia accounted for 50 percent of piratical attacks in the first quarter of this year, even though, piracy incidents worldwide have been dropping sharply.

Nigeria is now ranked next to lawless Somalia in piracy. She holds an unenviable record of being a giant in piracy activities in the Gulf of Guinea.
A lot has been said about the various options that we have as a nation. These option (at a time) ranged from the NIMASA/Navy alliance, the Coast Guard option and the controversial Maritime Security Agency (MASECA) option. There is also the laughable maritime domain contract between NIMASA and a private firm; Global West Vessel Specialist.
I recall very clearly that the NIMASA/ Navy Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) gave birth to the Maritime Guard Command which is domiciled in NIMASA. It is this command that was largely responsible for the increasing rate of arrests of sea robbers and pirates in the past.
Without boring anyone with statistics that are already in public domain, the current rating and the alarm that was raised by the International Maritime Bureau about piracy in the Gulf of Guinea (where Nigeria is the biggest player) is enough reason to reappraise our approach.
It is against these shocking realities and the monumental exposures that I want to commend the collaboration between NIMASA and the Nigerian Navy.

Yes, the alliance is producing results, but it is not the most acceptable way of tackling the menace. It is a model that can not be cited outside of Nigerian shores.
The same applies to the NIMASA/ Global West marriage which involves the engagement of the later to supply platforms for anti-piracy operations. It is also a Nigerian creation that is not tenable in the comity of nations.

There is this reinvention of the moribund NIMASA/Air Force deal that the DG of NIMASA engaged recently.

The Navy and the Joint Military Task Force in the Niger Delta code-named Operation Pulo Shield appear to be the toast right now, recording seizures and arresting of oil thieves and ships. The task force is responsible for the  unprecedented records of death  of oil thieves and pirates as well.

I think that NIMASA is currently saddled with a great deal of responsibilities, flag and port state issues, Cabotage, maritime labour and so on. It appears overwhelmed by its core responsibilities.

Even though the most reasonable model appears to be Coast Guard, which is already a tested global model in the fight against piracy and all forms of vices associated with seafaring in some climes, it has met a brick wall in Nigeria. And I dare ask: Why?

The question is: if the Coast Guard system has been tested and adjudged adequate in other maritime domains, what do we have against it in Nigeria.

I say again; it is the statutory responsibility of NIMASA to ensure a safe and secure passage for ships, crew and cargo.  The ad hoc arrangement with Navy or any private or public institutions for that matter is just what it is – purely, ad hoc.
The earlier NIMASA takes full charge the better for the nation, the maritime industry and the economy at large.