The Nigerian Navy deploys fully all the security assets of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA)
The Nigerian Navy has said that the maritime security assets acquired by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA under the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure, otherwise known as the Deep Blue project have been deployed across the South West, Central and Eastern Zonal operations to enhance patrol of Nigeria’s maritime domain.
The acting Fleet Commander, Western Naval Command and Commander, Deep Blue Project, Commodore Victor Choji made the declaration during a working visit by the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Mohammed Abdullahi to the management of NIMASA.
Interestingly, the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh OFR has said that the agency will strengthen ties with the Nigerian Navy with a view to improving maritime security not only in Nigeria but also across the Gulf of Guinea and also sustain the progress already in terms of reduction of piracy in the region.
The acting Fleet Commander also assured that the Nigerian Navy under the leadership of the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla is fully committed to the success of the Deep Blue Project.
During the interactive session, he said, “The assets have already been well deployed. As we speak five armored vehicles are deployed in Port Harcourt and three in Bonny”.
Speaking further, he said the project team deployed 10 more vehicles there, in addition to a drone unit in Bonny and some personnel. He also hinted that during the last general elections in the country, the mere presence of deep blue assets alone in those locations provided the needed inference that was required.
Choji also said that in the Central Zone Command, the Navy has deployed 3 units of special mission elements in brass and two of the interceptor boats with the special intervention force elements in central command. “In Lagos, just last week, we got a directive that there is a requirement and we are about to deploy 2 interceptor boats to support the operations that are ongoing in Lagos Inland waters. I can state categorically that we have the full backing of the Nigerian Navy for the success of the Deep Blue Project”.
The NIMASA boss, Jamoh, restated the Agency’s commitment to a robust relationship with the Nigerian Navy towards the economic development of the country and the maritime sector in particular.
Jamoh said, “I want to believe that the Agency and the Nigerian Navy have a lot in common to ensure safety and security in the nation’s waters. While the Nigerian Navy takes care of the kinetic operations, NIMASA concentrates on non-kinetic operations, and the two will have to go hand in hand if we must succeed. If you look at the armed forces act, the Nigerian Navy has a role to play in ensuring the implementation and enforcement of the NIMASA and Customs & Excise act”.
He further expressed the desire of NIMASA to earn full value for funds invested and still investing in the operations of the Deep Blue Project. He also noted that the Agency is in constant liaison with the National Assembly to ensure an update of the nation’s maritime laws with particular reference to the Merchant Shipping Act to guarantee adequate punitive measures are in the law to deter criminalities on Nigerian waters.
While commending the Nigerian Navy for their efforts in tracking erring vessels, which switched off their Automatic Identification System, AIS in Nigerian waters, Dr Jamoh called for improved synergy amongst all organs of Government in the maritime sector. Particularly, the Nigerian Navy and the marine arm of the Nigerian Police to quickly tackle head on; pockets of recent criminalities in the Lagos anchorage and inland waters.
Earlier in his remarks, the FOC who reiterated that the Agency is his first point of call since he assumed duty as the FOC Western Naval Command, which underscores the importance the Nigerian Navy pays to her relationship with NIMASA.
“I am here in recognition of the support and cooperation the Navy enjoys with the Agency and we still have a long way to go in order to actualize the mandate of safeguarding the Nigerian maritime sector”, the FOC said.
He also used the opportunity to pledge the continuous support of the Command to the agency, while they look forward to more cooperation in the coming years, for the overall good of the nation.
Meanwhile, after floating idly for five years, the multi-billion naira giant modular floating Dockyard purchased by the NIMASA has finally found a resting place at the Continental Shipyard provided by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) on a lease agreement. However, details of the lease agreement have not been made public.
The floating dock, procured at a princely cost of N50 billion, had wandered for about five years, since June 2018 when it came to Nigeria, looking for a suitable place to drop its gigantic anchor but to no avail.
From the Marina waterfront to Naval Dockyard before the NPA, on a lease agreement, came to the rescue.
In his confirming of the lease agreement, Edward Osagie, the NIMASA’s spokesman, in a statement revealed that the floating dock had finally rested at the Continental Shipyard, ready for the much-anticipated operations of dry docking several thousands of vessels that hitherto go to the foreign countries, especially, Ghana, to carry out their statutory maintenance schedule.
“The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, (NIMASA) has taken over areas leased to it by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) at the Continental Shipyard for the operations of the Modular Floating Dock.”The areas include but are not limited to the dolphin jetty, the waterfront of the jetty adjourning the slipway, an administrative block, a construction, welding and mechanical workshop and a civil maintenance workshop, among others” stated Osagie.
During the handover ceremony, the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, said that the handover of the Continental Shipyard to NIMASA marks the final lap in the quest of the Agency to deploy the modular floating Dockyard.
Jamoh , who was represented by the Head, Public, Private Partnership, (PPP) Unit Mr. Kabiru Diso , assured stakeholders that the Modular Floating Dockyard would soon be deployed since all grey areas between NIMASA and the NPA have been cleared.
“The Modular Floating Dockyard is a national asset and now that all grey areas between the NPA and NIMASA have been addressed, we are very close to deploying the Modular Floating Dock.
“Our goal is to domicile dry-docking of vessels in the country thus saving the nation foreign exchange currently expended on dry-docking vessels outside the shores of Nigeria.
“The floating Dock will also provide both direct and indirect employment to Nigerians with a multiplier effect on capacity development,” Diso said.
The Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission, (ICRC) had issued a certificate of compliance for an Outline Business Case (OBC) for the operation of the floating dock, while also describing it as bankable and sustainable.
The Modular Floating Dock, which has the capacity to handle up to 10,000 Metric Tons of vessels, would be run on a Public Private Partnership arrangement.
The modular floating dock acquired by the NIMASA on June 11, 2018, was said to be allegedly on a daily maintenance cost of $30, 000
The floating dock, conceptualised and acquired by the Dakuku Peterside-led management of NIMASA, was expected to serve as a maintenance base for visiting vessels and those domiciled in the country, with aspirations to save about $100m yearly in capital flight; generate employment, and boost local capacity. NIMASA is expecting a whopping sum of one billion naira monthly as revenue.
The facility, measuring 125 metres by 35metres, with three in-built cranes, transformers, and a number of ancillary facilities, was built by one of the world’s largest shipbuilding firms, Damen Shipyards, and its partner, NIRDA, in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, at a cost of N50b.
