NIMASA, U.S. Coast Guard to ensure safe ports, says Peterside

The Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Dakuku Peterside, has said that the agency is determined to work with the U.S. Coast Guard to ensure Nigerian ports are safe.
Peterside said this in Lagos when a delegation of the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) led by Commander Thomas Foster, came on an assessment visit of Nigerian ports and terminals.
He described the USCG as the most valued partner in ensuring that “Nigerian ports are safe for business’’.
“There is absolutely no doubt that we are determined to get it right; we only need support, assistance and all the encouragement we can get.
“Let me also reiterate that as a country, we appreciate the importance of getting security right at our ports, jetties and terminals,’’ the Director-General said.
He said that NIMASA was fully committed toward ensuring the safety and security of the nation’s territorial waters and in line with global best practices.
Peterside said the agency was also determined to ensure total compliance with the International Ships and Ports Facility Security (ISPS) Code in all ports, terminals and jetties in the country.
He also said that Nigeria placed high premium on issues that bordered on security.
“NIMASA as the Designated Authority (DA) for the ISPS Code implementation is leaving no stone unturned to achieve 100 per cent implementation of the ISPS Code in Nigeria.
“This will guarantee the safety of vessels calling or leaving our ports,’’ Peterside said.
He appealed to the USCG to continue to render necessary assistance to NIMASA, adding that the agency was open to support and partnership with the body.
In his remark, Foster commended NIMASA for its strides in ensuring safety at the ports and expressed satisfaction with the infrastructure  development as regards ISPS Code implementation in ports visited in Lagos.
“The level of compliance has tremendously improved compared to our last visit.
“I therefore assure NIMASA that we will continue to work closely to achieve safer ports, jetties and terminals in Nigeria,’’ he said.
The ISPS Code, which came into force in 2004, is an amendment to the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention (1974/1988) on minimum security arrangements for ships, ports and government agencies.
The Code prescribes responsibilities to governments, shipping companies, shipboard personnel, and port/facility personnel to detect security threats and take preventative measures against security incidents affecting ships or port facilities used in international trade.
NIMASA was appointed the Designated Authority for the implementation of the ISPS Code in Nigeria in May, 2013 and has since been unrelenting in raising the banner of the country high among the comity of maritime nations, especially in the area of safety and security.
NIMASA is the government agency that regulates and promotes shipping activities in Nigeria.