…As NIMASA jumps Conditions Survey of Flag Registration by 43.6%; PSC by 24.2%***
The Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Dr. Bashir Jamoh at the weekend emphasized the safety of the Cabotage Vessels Finance Fund (CVFF), stressing that the fund is securely warehoused by the Central Bank of Nigeria, under Presidential directive.
Dr. Jamoh stated this during a media interactive session in his Lagos office, even as he corrected earlier held holistic ownerships’ view of the fund, as being of indigenous Shipowners.
“The money is there; nobody touched the money; nobody touched the CVFF money and nobody can touch it.
“The money is in Central bank and it’s still in TSA account.
No NIMASA (staff) can touch the money, because this is a Presidential directive…” Jamoh stated, urging stakeholders to remove sentiment from the CVFF.
He revealed the fund’s disbursement was however handicapped by some political and technical issues, and which have restricted it’s availability.
Describing the issues as surmount-able and pledging to leave no stone unturned, until the huddles were overcome, the Agency Boss also noted the slippery and dynamic nature of the challenges.
“But I believe we will overcome it.
https://youtu.be/x32Hz7M5mUw
We have to use all the necessary space to eradicate all those things.
There are political and technical issues attach to CVFF”, he said, identifying amongst others, the CVFF guidelines and the CVFF acts itself.
He observed that the agency, in its bid to tackle some aspects of the technicalities involved had shortlisted 9 banks and submitted their names appropriately, for four to be endorsed as primary lending banks; even as further measures were being pursued.
He frowned on the Controversy of actual Ownership of the CVFF, saying that the argument should not be whether the actual owners are the indigenous Shipowners or the Government, but on how both the fund’s holder and users could mutually evolve a beneficial and functional model to ensure effective utilisation of fund.
Specifically, Jamoh then called attention to an analogy of the International Passport, the holder as against it’s the true owner.
In the meantime, Dr. Bashir Jamoh has announced an increase of 43.6% in conditions survey for Flag Registration by the Agency in the year 2021 as against the performance in the year 2020.
The Director-General also highlighted that the Agency recorded an improved Port State Control (PSC) implementation in the year 2021, being 24.2% higher than the PSC inspections of the year 2020.
Dr. Jamoh explained that despite the challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, the Agency ensured improved Port and Flag State Administration in accordance with the safety requirements of the Merchant Shipping Act 2007.
A breakdown of the figures shows that in 2020, the Agency carried out a condition survey of vessels under Flag Registration for 276 vessels, while in 2021, the figure increased to 489, representing a 43.6% improvement.
Port State Control implementation by NIMASA in the year 2021 was assessed onboard 673 vessels which was a marked improvement on the 510 Vessels Boarded for Port State inspection in the year 2020 representing a 24.2% increment.
Jamoh also disclosed that the Agency reactivated the online portal for stakeholders to verify Nigerian Certificate(s) of Competency CoC from any part of the world.
“The online certificate verification platform was reactivated last year to reduce falsification of Nigerian Seafarers Certificate and enhance the employment of Nigerian Seafarers.
“We experienced the rejection of Nigerian Seafarers both locally and internationally and the Agency decided to introduce the online certificate verification platform which allows shipowners to easily authenticate CoC’s from the comfort of their electronic devices.”
While raising concern over the percentage of failures recorded for Nigerian seafarers who sat for the Certificate of Competency examination last year, Dr Jamoh announced that the Agency has commenced investigation into the immediate and remote causes of the trend with a view to addressing it holistically.
In the year 2021, NIMASA signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU with the Maritime Transport Coordination Center (MTCC), for capacity development to address the need for reduction of Green House Gas emission in the maritime industry with emphasis on achieving 0.5% Sulphur Oxide in Bunker fuel.
“Our laboratory is already completed and we hope to enter a public-private partnership arrangement this year to manage the laboratory for optimal utilization.
The Agency also carried out 20 marine accident investigations in 2021, as against 18 in the year 2020, while also enforcing safety regulations on barges and tugboats under the code name; Operation Sting Ray.
The NIMASA helmsman revealed further that the Agency took delivery of more Deep Blue Project Assets, which was flagged off by President Muhammadu Buhari, adding that some of these assets have been deployed to the Nigerian Navy for its operational use.
Accordingly, he said “the Agency is collaborating with major international stakeholders in the maritime sector in other to entrench coordinated response to piracy and other criminalities on the Nigerian waters and prompt reportage and escalation of marine incidences to where the action is most expected and to provide navigational advisory to mariners”, Jamoh added.
Speaking further, He noted the Agency’s commitment to improved strategic collaboration with the Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Airforce, the Nigerian Police, Nigerian Army and the office of the National Security Adviser.
This move, Jamoh noted has helped to reduce piracy attacks off the coast of the Gulf of Guinea, as there were no single attacks on Nigerian waters in the 3rd quarter of 2021, as reported by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB).
Dr Jamoh also disclosed that the Deep Blue Project is enjoying international support as the Korean Government has donated a vessel to support the project. He also disclosed that the Regional Maritime Awareness Center (RMAC), is being upgraded to SEA VISION to allow for monitoring of vessels along the West and Central Central Africa Region.
In a related development, the NIMASA DG also hinted that the Agency’s contribution to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) of the Federal Government, increased from figures hovering around 31 billion in 2020 to about 37 billion in the year 2021.
Dr. Jamoh used the opportunity to appreciate the media for their constructive criticism and assured of greater efficiency and productivity, in 2022.
