WASHINGTON: The United States Coast Guard (USCG) has declared that safety status of the Nigerian ports as improving, commending the level of compliance with International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code. The USCG team, which was in Nigeria to examine the level of compliance with the international ISPS code assured of their support to Nigeria towards achieving a safer ports, jetties and terminals.
The leader of the delegation of the United States Coast Guard, Commander Thomas Foster, commended Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) for its strides in ensuring safety at the ports and expressed satisfaction with the infrastructural development as regarding ISPS Code implementation in the ports visited in Lagos. He said: “It appears that the energy that NIMASA has at the ports is very tremendous, as seen in all the 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 a safer ports, jetties and terminals in Nigeria”. The Director General NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, however assured of the Agency’s determination to ensure total compliance with the ISPS Code in all ports, terminals and jetties in Nigeria.
The DG who made this disclosure in Lagos when a delegation of the United States Coast Guard (USCG) led by Commander Thomas Foster came on an assessment visit of Nigerian ports and terminals across the country, described the USCG as the most valued partner in ensuring that our ports are safe for business. He also reiterated that Nigeria places high premium on issues that border on security and as such, 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 he said will guarantee the safety of the vessels calling or leaving our ports. “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. We are determined to work with the United States Coast Guard to get it right in order to ensure our ports are safe. Let me also reiterate that as a country, we appreciate the importance of getting security right at our ports, jetties and terminals and that we are committed to it”, Peterside said. He also used the opportunity to appeal to the USCG to continue to render necessary assistance to NIMASA, noting that the Agency is open to support and partnership from them.
The International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code is an amendment to the Safety of Life and Sea (SOLAS) Convention (1974/1988) on minimum security arrangements for ships, ports and government agencies. Having come into force in 2004, it 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.
