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AGAIN: NIMASA breaks Oil Stealing Cartel, Arrests Kingpin, 10 Others

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LAGOS-Barely a month after it arrested and paraded ten persons suspected to be sea pirates in connection with an attack on one of the Agency’s boat, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has arrested another eleven persons who were suspected to be oil thieves.

The suspects whom the Agency reported were part of the big sponsors of Pirates activities on Nigerian waters were raided from different locations in Lagos and outside Lagos. One of the kingpins sponsoring the Act, Capt. Nicholas Okotie was arrested along with the team in Lagos even as one of his vessels, MT Ejenavi has been impounded by NIMASA.

Parading the suspects to journalists in Lagos yesterday, Director General of NIMASA, Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi explained that the Agency clamped down on the team as they were getting set to embark on another operation.

Akpobolokemi said that the group and their company, Great Eagle Maritime Limited, has been under great surveillance by NIMASA for a long time and that the Agency decided to move in on the oil thieves at the early hours of Tuesday.

Akpobolokemi said that the groups were arrested in connection with the siphoning of petroleum products, pipeline vandalization and kidnapping which one of them is currently standing trial for.

“They are part of the network, the cartel that has caused a lot of problems for us for a long time, they have been engaging in organized crime for a long time within our maritime domain, high jacking of vessels, kidnapping and so on”

“They have been on our surveillance list, we have been monitoring them and we picked them from different locations, some outside the state. One of the sponsors that masterminded these activities is also here with them” he said.

Explaining the mode of operation adopted by the thieves, the NIMASA boss said that If a tanker vessel has 10,000 tonnes of petroleum products, they go there and siphon 3,000 tonnes and they go ahead to they sell it.

“They go back again to kidnap and break oil pipes, there is nothing that they have not been doing but today the law has caught up with them. They have been bringing down the reputation of this country in the committee of nations” he lameted.

Akpobolokemi however explained that the arrest was made possible as result of the partnership between NIMASA, the Nigerian Navy and the Global West Vessel Specialist Limited.

He also appealed to the Nigerian Judiciary to ensure that the arrested pirates get proper prosecution. He expressed discomfort by the way past cases have been treated.

“If we do our job and they do their job the country will make progress, we have made so many arrests and some of them will come out on the streets”

“Our law enforcement A

NIMASA DG, Patrick Akpobolokemi

gencies are not spared in this matter, if you want to solve the problem of high-jacking, piracy, illegal bunkering and oil theft, something must be done and the right steps must be taken” he said.

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Maritime

NIMASA Makes Dockworkers Registration Compulsory

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The management of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has advised International Oil Companies, terminal and jetty operators, and all other companies involved in stevedoring in the country to refrain from engaging unregistered dockworkers.

The information was contained in a statement made available to Biztellers by the Head, Public Relations, NIMASA, Osagie Edward.

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According to the statement, all stakeholders, including dock labour employers and stevedoring companies, are encouraged to apply for new operating licenses or renew expired ones within a 30-day moratorium period.

“This requirement,” it added, “is stipulated by the NIMASA Act of 2007 and outlined in the NIMASA Stevedoring Regulations of 2014, which mandates strict compliance from all maritime operators.”

Osagie cited the Director General, NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola as laying emphasis on the need for stakeholders to comply with extant laws and regulations.

Dr Mobereola said, “No terminal or company shall continue to engage the services of unregistered dockworkers for cargo handling at their work locations.

“This move is part of our broader effort to ensure safe and regulated operations within Nigeria’s maritime industry. Compliance with these regulations will enhance our ability to maintain an up-to-date database of dockworkers operating in the country. It also improves our planning processes, as we are committed to developing their capacity to meet globally accepted standards for dockworkers in Nigeria. We intend to enforce full compliance after the moratorium period.”

It was gathered that the NIMASA Act, 2007, Part IX, Section 27, addressed the registration of Dockworkers with focus on Maritime Labour.

“It ensures the Registration, Regulation, and control of Maritime Labour, including dockworkers. The Act assigns the Agency the responsibility of maintaining standards in accordance with international best practices,” Osagie added.

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Maritime Diplomacy: Nigeria Seeks Election Into IMO Council

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Nigeria has expressed a strong desire to seek election into Category “C” of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council.

The Honorable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, made the disclosure at the 2024 World Maritime Day parallel event in Barcelona, Spain.

Oyetola noted that Nigeria has put in place the basic needs for the development of her maritime industry in line with recognized global best practices.

In his words, “our active participation in upholding key conventions, such as the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code, reflects our dedication to ensuring the safety of international shipping.

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There have been no incidents of piracy in the last three years, as confirmed by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB). By deploying resources to provide maritime security assets, Nigeria has solidified its role as a key guardian of maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea.

Nigeria remains a valuable source of manpower for the industry. I therefore urge our partners to explore this potential and assist where possible in the best interest of all. Our Maritime Academy has adequate resources and facilities to support this development.

“I am pleased to announce Nigeria’s resolve to seek a Category “C” membership on the Council.

On his part, the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dayo Mobereola, assured that no stone will be left unturned to ensure success in the quest for IMO Category C membership at the next elections.

According to him, “We at NIMASA have met with the IMO technical team and have commenced work on all identified grey areas so that Nigeria can address the gaps identified during the last audit by the IMO.

”We have also commenced the process of effective communication with other member states using the IMO GSIS platform, among others. While we at NIMASA focus on the technical aspects of the preparations, our supervising Ministry will provide the political will to guide Nigeria back to the Council at the IMO.”

Oyetola, who held engagement sessions with the IMO Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez and other diplomats, was accompanied on the working tour by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mr. Olufemi Oloruntola; the Director General of the NIMASA; the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho; the Managing Director of NIWA, Mr. Bola Oyebamiji; and the Director of Maritime Safety and Security Services, Mr. Babatunde Bombata.

This year’s parallel event with the theme: Navigating the Future: Safety First, brought together international maritime leaders and experts to discuss future challenges and opportunities, with the aim of ensuring that safety is prioritized in the day-to-day operations of the global maritime sector.

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Maritime

Why PPP Is Necessity For Nigeria’s Maritime Infrastructural Dev’t – Mobereola 

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The adoption of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model is essential for the infrastructural development of Nigeria’s maritime sector.

This is the view of the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dayo Mobereola.

The DG, shared his views while hosting the Director General of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Dr. Jobson Oseodion Ewalefoh.

He emphasized the importance of the Commission’s increased involvement in attracting private investors to develop infrastructural capacity in Nigeria’s maritime sector.

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Dr. Mobereola said, “We appreciate the Management of the ICRC for being responsive. However, you know that the maritime sector is capital intensive and government funds cannot solely put in place the required infrastructure. We need the ICRC to develop PPP based business models that will be attractive to the private sector both from within and outside the country.

“There is the need to streamline processes by the use of technology, as we will continue to count on the support of ICRC to help drive the Agency’s PPP projects for effective and efficient service delivery to our stakeholders”.

Lending support to Dr. Mobereola’s views, Dr. Ewalefoh, underscored the significance of the maritime sector to Nigeria’s economy.

He noted that the PPP model would facilitate increased funding and expertise from the private sector, thereby accelerating the growth and development of the Nigerian maritime sector. Additionally, he stated that the ICRC is prepared to engage with the Agency on its projects and ensure timely execution.

“There is no time to waste; our country needs lots of funding for infrastructure and we need to create an enabling environment for activities to thrive. First, is service delivery, not revenue generation, and people will be willing to pay if they get the right services”, the ICRC boss noted.

The PPP model has proven to be the most viable approach worldwide for driving government policies that promote development and economic growth.

Biztellers reports that as a regulatory agency and Nigeria’s Maritime Administrator, the NIMASA has consistently embraced collaboration and partnership through the PPP initiative to ensure the growth and development of the maritime sector.

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