Business
Nigerian Waters: Maritime Stakeholders Harp On Information Flow
Stakeholders in the Nigerian Maritime Industry have met over the implementation of the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) convention on Long Range Identification and Tracking System(LRIT) in continuation of efforts to ensure a continous flow of information in the Industry. The meeting, which was hosted by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the apex maritime administration in Nigeria, was chaired by the former Director General (DG) of the agency, Dr Ade Dosunmu.
Stakeholders identified that the LRIT has the potential of curbing illegal trans-shipment activities on Nigeria waters, and harped on the support of NIMASA as the apex Nigeria maritime regulatory body in the implementation of International Conventions domesticated by the country.
The chairman of the occasion and the former DG of NIMASA explainedthat the LRIT system device has the potential of alerting the Maritime administration of ships dumping potential harzardons materials carried by foreign ships.
In his words, “we will always inform you of IMO convention, the country domesticates and your cooperation is critical to sustaining Nigeria as a leader in the comity of maritime nations.”
On the issue of dependence on foreign service providers for the provision of accounting on maritime radio communication for the Nigeria maritime, Dr Dosunmu said that NIMASA will liaise with local operators to explore the possibility of enhancing the country’s radio communication.
The chairman of the Indigenous Ship Owners Association of Nigeria (ISAN), Chief Isaac Jolapamo, who led his team to the meeting, commended NIMASA for collaborating with ship owners, and assured the agency of the association’s cooperation to ensure that Nigeria complies with the LRIT convention.
The Long Range Identification and Tracking of Ships Convention was adopted by the International Maritime Organisation in 2006, through amendments to chapter five of the safety of lives at sea. It is a mandatory requirement for passenger ships, cargo ships, mobile offshore drilling units and all vessels involved in international voyages.
Corlins Walter