NIMASA exceeds 70% IMO benchmark for ISPS code implementation – DG

Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has surpassed the 70 percent benchmark set by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) for the compliance of the International Ships and Ports Facility Security (ISPS) Code, says Haruna Baba Jauro, acting director-general of NIMASA.

Speaking while receiving the IMO Needs Assessment Team at the headquarters of the Agency, Jauro, who described the maritime sector as a major economic driver, assured the team that the Agency would not rest until its ensured that the nation’s seaports were safe and secure for business activities to thrive.

“From being less than 9 percent compliant in 2013, we are happy to inform you that the agency has surpassed the 70 percent benchmark in national compliance level of the ISPS Code implementation in Nigeria. However, the current management is leaving no stone unturned to ensure 100 percent compliance level,” Jauro said.

Gisela Vieira, leader of the IMO Needs Assessment Team, commended the management of NIMASA for the commitment and zeal shown towards ensuring the effective implementation of the ISPS code.

According to Vieira, the audit is not mainly aimed at identifying the faults but specially meant to set an agenda on how to better the current implementation status.

It would be recalled that NIMASA was in May 2013 officially named the Designated Authority (DA) for the implementation of the ISPS code after the dissolution of the Presidential Committee on Maritime Safety and Security (PCOMSS).

In order to ensure full compliance, the Agency has continually clamped down on some erring facilities that have remained non-compliant after several entreaties for the facility managers to remedy the identified breaches.