The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) have initiated efforts to close gaps identified by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) during its last mandatory audit of the country’s maritime industry.
Speaking when he received the director-general, NiMet, Prof. Mansur Matazu, at the agency’s headquarters in Lagos, the director-general of NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, said the collaboration between both agencies was necessary to close the gaps identified in the audit report to boost Nigeria’s maritime sector.
Recall that auditors from IMO had, in 2016, conducted a mandatory audit of Nigeria’s maritime industry to, among other things, ascertain compliance level with IMO’s maritime security and efficiency protocols on the country’s waters
The IMO Member State Audit Scheme (IMSAS) commenced as a voluntary process in 2006 and became a treaty obligation in January 2016, with the aim of promoting the consistent and effective implementation of applicable IMO instruments and to assist member states improve their capabilities, while contributing to theirs and the global performance in compliance with the requirements of the instruments to which it is a party.
“The collaboration with NiMet is a necessity, not a convenience. IMO had, during the audit of the Nigerian Maritime Administration some years ago, identified some gaps, which we believe can be closed with effective collaboration among critical stakeholders.
“Cooperation between NIMASA and NiMet is vital for the documentation and filling of the gaps. We have established a platform for action and devised various strategies for the achievement of our set goals,” said Jamoh.
Earlier in his remarks, Matazu said: “We desire to provide services to aid the movement of vessels on Nigerian waters. With climate change and its increasing intensity, this is the time for collaboration. NiMet weather forecasts have an accuracy of over 95 per cent.”
The high-point of the visit was the setting up of a working committee, with members drawn from both agencies, to develop an action plan and implement a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the provision of things missing from the maritime sector.
