Maritime
Continental Collaboration key to African maritime Development
Crest OKAMGBA
Sharm El Sheik, Egypt- The chairman of the Association of African Maritime Administrations AAMA, Dr Dakuku Peterside has restated the place of continental collaboration to grow the African maritime industry. This was the thrust of his message as he arrived Sharm El Sheik, Egypt for the 4th conference of Association of African Maritime Administration, (AAMA) where participants from 38 countries from Africa will be joined by maritime stakeholders from Singapore, Jamaica, Malaysia and the United Kingdom amongst others to deliberate on how to grow the maritime industry on the continent.
Dr Dakuku noted that the role of African Maritime Administration in building human and infrastructural capacities, Combating the Menace of Piracy and Maritime Crimes in Africa, Regional Initiatives for sustainable exploitation of maritime resources, will be part of the issues that will be deliberated during the five day event which has the theme “Protecting The African Marine Environment To Support Sustainable Development”.
According to the AAMA Chairman “ Africa is the market yet to be unveiled, the maritime sector of Africa deserves its rightful place because if you look at the cargo generated from the continent and the cargo that heads to Africa you will know that the African maritime sector has come off age and there is the need for us to come as a bloc to negotiate issues of development of our sector when it comes to international maritime politics”
Following the commencement of the AAMA conference, The International Maritime Organization, IMO and the African Union have affirmed their readiness to support AAMA in their quest to combat security challenges, and build human capacity to implement, monitor and enforce international instruments.
The chief executive of Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, Andrew Tan who is already in Egypt, commended the Dr Dakuku led executive members of AAMA for engaging other maritime administrations across the globe in their quest to develop maritime Africa.
“ We are delighted to share knowledge with African maritime leaders- he said, we are ready to partner AAMA in its quest to grow the African maritime sector which will know will rub off on the industry in totality” he said.
AAMA members at the 3rd AAMA conference with the theme – Sustainable Use of Africa’s Oceans and Seas, agreed to develop and adopt Near-Coastal Trading, Certification and Competency Code for mutual recognition of certificates that will reduce/eliminate contentions by Port State Control Inspectors. Members were also encouraged to re-enforce regional cooperation and coordination, enhance information sharing and regulatory governance among members to combat the menace of piracy and other maritime crimes while maintaining a balance between security and the facilitation of global trade.
Dr Dakuku Peterside, NIMASA DG was elected Chairman of AAMA in 2017 with Eleven (11) members’ executive committee comprising of representatives of Central Africa (Cameroun & Cape Verde), West Africa (Cote D’Ivoire & Ghana), East Africa (Tanzania & Comoros), Southern Africa (Mozambique and South Africa), North Africa (Egypt & Sudan) and Uganda representing Land-locked countries.
It is noteworthy that the African Union (A.U.) special summit of heads of government on maritime security, safety and development in Lome, Togo, 15th October, 2016 aligned with the IMO to reinforce the role of maritime in the development of the African continent. They adopted a Charter on Maritime Security, Safety and Development aimed at making Africa’s maritime space the key driver of the continent’s socio-economic development. This document was endorsed by 43 out of 54 African nations.
The Association of African Maritime Administrators (AAMA), inspired by African Union maritime transport charter provides stakeholders in maritime sector, a platform to give effect to the various charters adopted by African heads of government whether AIM 2050, Agenda 2063 or the Lome charter.
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has called for a comprehensive action in Nigeria’s bid to be elected into Category C of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Council, as he inaugurated an Inter-Ministerial Committee to promote the campaign.
Speaking at the inauguration held at the Boardroom of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy (FMMBE) in Abuja on Tuesday, Oyetola said the campaign must be all-inclusive, taking into consideration diplomatic and operational strategies in soliciting votes to yield good dividends.
He explained that, having lost out three times between 2011 and 2019 after its successful stints in 1975, 2001, and 2005, Nigeria is due to return to the Council to cement its relevance as a strategic Maritime domain and a strong voice in West Africa.
On his part, the Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), said, “The need for Nigeria’s return to Council is imperative given our strategic location and significance as a hub of Maritime activities and as a voice for the sub-region on the IMO Council, where crucial decisions regarding international maritime shipping and trade are made.”
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He added that membership in the Council comes with such benefits as “technical assistance, manpower and institutional development, as well as political influence in the maritime sector of the global economy.”
The inter-ministerial committee for Nigeria’s election to the IMO Executive Council at the 34th Regular Session in 2025 comprises high-level officials led by the Permanent Secretary of the FMMBE, Olufemi Oloruntola.
The committee is tasked with identifying activities and actions that will promote Nigeria’s standing in the IMO community by articulating and showcasing the country’s maritime achievements.
Members of the committee include the Director of Maritime Security and Safety from the FMMBE and the Director-General of the NIMASA, who will serve as alternate chairpersons.
Other members are; the Directors of Legal Services and Maritime Services from the FMMBE, the Director of International Organisations Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), the Managing Director of the Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority, and the Rector of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron.
Others include the former Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Ade Dosunmu (stakeholder); the representative of the Office of the Honourable Minister of the FMMBE, Dr. Charles Akinola; and the Assistant Director, Maritime Pollution Control at the FMMBE, Mr. Paschal Ogah, who will serve as Secretary to the Committee.
Meanwhile, the Direvtor-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dayo Mobereola, has officially presented the six IMO instruments assented to by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, GCFR, to the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy.
He thanked the Minister for facilitating the signing of the IMO Conventions, noting that, ‘these six conventions have been pending within the Ministry and government for the last 6 to 8 years. With the efforts of the Honourable Minister, they have now been assented to by Mr. President and will be delivered and showcased with the IMO.’
Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu has signed the instruments of accession for six Conventions of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
This action paves the way for Nigeria to officially deposit these instruments of accession at the IMO headquarters, which serves as the repository for such conventions. This move is expected to enhance Nigeria’s maritime governance and align its practices with international standards, promoting maritime safety, security, and environmental protection.
It was gathered that the six instruments signed by President Tinubu are the Instrument of Accession of the Protocol of 2005 to the 1988 Protocol for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Fixed Platforms on the Continental Shelf, the Instrument of Accession of the International Convention of Standards of Training, Certification, and Watch-keeping for Fishing Vessel Personnel 1995; and the Instrument of Accession of the Protocol Relating to Intervention on the High Seas in cases of Pollution by Substances other than Oil, 1973 as Amended (INTERVENTION PROTOCOL).
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Others are the Instrument of Accession to the Protocol of 1996 to Amend the Convention on Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims (LLMC) 1976; the Instrument of Accession to the Protocol to the 1974 Athens Convention Relating to the Carriage of Passengers and Their Luggage by Sea, 2002; and the Instrument of Accession to the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, 2009.
Presenting the instruments to the Hon Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, the Director-General of NIMASA, expressed his gratitude to the Minister for facilitating the signing of the IMO conventions by the President after several years of being pending in the Ministry.
In his words, “These six instruments have been lying within the Ministry for the last 6 to 8 years, and thanks to the efforts of the Honorable Minister, they have now been assented to by the President. This is a landmark achievement for Nigeria, as the IMO will soon update our records to recognize these instruments.
On his part, the Honorable Minister reassured stakeholders of the President’s commitment to developing the Nigerian maritime industry in line with global best practices.
By signing these instruments of accession, the President has reaffirmed this administration’s determination to take its rightful position among the comity of maritime nations. This development will undoubtedly further reassure member states and stakeholders of Nigeria’s resolve and determination to be a leading member of the decision-making body of the IMO.
The deposit of these six instruments of ratification will be carried out by the supervising Ministry, and NIMASA.
Following the recovery of the Flight Data Recorder FDR and Cockpit Voice Recorder CVR otherwise called the black box, of the Helicopter that crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near Bonny Finima, Port Harcourt, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) will share details of her findings therefrom with the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
Biztellers reports that the black box was recovered last weekend through an inter-Agency collaboration involving NIMASA, the Nigerian Navy (NN), the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), the NNPC Ltd, HydroDive in addition to other local and international search and rescue partners.
On the incident, the Director General of NIMASA, Dr Dayo Mobereola, commended all organs of government for the swift, and well-coordinated inter-agency partnership for the search and recovery operations.
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He revealed that NIMASA will share information on the incident with the IMO.
In his words, “In line with international maritime safety standards, NIMASA will report the findings about the helicopter crash into the Atlantic Ocean to the International Maritime Organization IMO via the Global Integrated Shipping Information System GISIS.
“By sharing the findings of the offshore Port Harcourt helicopter crash with the IMO, we at NIMASA demonstrate Nigeria’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and cooperation within the global maritime community”.
The GISIS is an online platform developed by the IMO to support the timely and accurate reporting of incidents, accidents, and other essential maritime data. This platform enables member states to share information crucial to improving safety protocols, updating best practices, and fostering international cooperation.
According to Mobereola, “NIMASA is committed to working closely with all relevant Agencies to determine the cause of the incident and to take all necessary steps to prevent future occurrences. As we mourn those lost, NIMASA reaffirms its dedication to the safety of Nigeria’s maritime domain and the continued strengthening of inter-agency collaboration.
On October 24th 2024, the Agency had received distress signals at the Regional Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC) and the C4i center of the Deep Blue project and shared same with the Nigerian Navy who immediately deployed the NIMASA’s specialized search and rescue assets to the crash site to locate the downed aircraft and conduct recovery efforts under challenging conditions.
The helicopter crashed in the Atlantic Ocean near Bonny Finima, at a distance of 1.4km from the starboard side of the Floating Producing Storage Offloading FPSO, NUIM ANTAN Producing Ltd owned by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC Limited).
The NIMASA working closely with the NN, the NSIB, the NNPC Ltd, HydroDive and other local and international search and rescue partners recovered the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) from the Sikorsky SK76 helicopter, registration 5N BQG.
It was gathered that with the recovery of the black box, over 80 percent of the helicopter wreck had been recovered. Other items recovered include rotor, three blades, engine, gearbox, windows, cockpit overhead panels, the Electronic Locator, Transmitter (ELT) and the tail. All the recovered wreck is on a dump barge.
Meanwhile, the DG NIMASA has extended the Agency’s heartfelt condolences to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation NNPC Limited, the families of the victims, and all those affected by the tragic helicopter crash.
He stated, “Our deepest sympathies are with the NNPC, the families, and loved ones of those affected by this unfortunate incident. Safety is a paramount commitment for us at NIMASA, and we remain resolute in our partnership with the Nigerian Navy and other stakeholders to ensure effective, rapid response in emergencies.”
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