The President of the Nigerian Shipowners Association (NISA), Capt. Niyi Labinjo, on Friday lauded the efforts of the Nigeria Navy at securing the nation’s territorial waters from illegalities.

Labinjo told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the Nigerian Navy was doing its best to secure the Nigerian waters from bunkering and piracy but needed to do more.

“There is still piracy on our waters and the Nigerian Navy is really trying their best to ensure the water safe from illegality.

“We still have a lot of foreign vessels that are still breaching our Cabotage Act which the Navy should also look into,” he said.

Labinjo appealed to the Federal Government to avail the Navy of the equipment and funds for them to perform effectively.

Also speaking with NAN, Mrs. Margaret Onyema-Orakwusi, noted that the Navy was doing what they should do in securing the waters with the resources available to them.

She said the government should give them a better platform to perform more effectively than what they have done in the past.

“The officers of the Nigerian Navy are well trained and they have and are still showing their capability to protect our territorial waters.

‘The government should give them what is needed to improve on their services,” she said.

She also advised the Navy to make sure they continued to keep the waters safe from terrestrial attacks.

Onyema-Orakwusi urged the government to adequately fund and train naval personnel at all times with the objective to equip them to perform their functions proficiently.

“There should be proper training for them and there should be a relationship between them and the Navy of other countries in the region so that there will be effective communication among them,” she said.—Ships and Ports