Maritime Agencies

THREE YEARS AS NIMASA DG: Jamoh and His Exploits

Published

3 years ago

March 13, 2023

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Dr Bashir Jamoh

By Izuchukwu Ozoemena

March 10, 2023, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, OFR, was three years in office as Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA). To mark this, the agency’s Public Relations Team articulated his landmark achievements. Falcon Watch Online joins to do a special focus on Bashir Jamoh at three, x-raying specific areas his three-year tenure has made a difference plus a couple of other issues stakeholders expect him to focus on as he runs out his full tenure at the apex maritime agency.

As a home grown industry person, Dr Jamoh , on appointment, did not find it hard to quickly articulate areas of focus where special attention is needed to make a difference. These he dubbed the 3S: maritime Safety, maritime Security and Shipping development.

PIRACY & KIDNAPPING IN GoG

Nigerian waters form an integral part of the Gulf of Guinea (GoG). Nigerian waters and the entire GoG now enjoy a drastic reduction in piracy, incidences of kidnapping and other maritime crimes which hitherto made seafaring in the area a nightmare. In 2020, for instance, 130 cases were recorded; in 2021, it was 57. There was none throughout 2022. The commendable zero incidents of 2022 are even being witnessed as Q1 of 2023 rushes to lapse.

At this rate, stakeholders say, Nigeria now stands to do without payment of Extra War Risk Insurance (EWRI) premiums and other charges introduced on account of piracy and other crimes on waters.

THE DEEP BLUE PROJECT

In June 2021, President Muhammadu Buhari launched the deep blue project. The implementation has brought a marked reduction in maritime crimes because the Team NIMASA under Jamoh applied what can be described as a multi-sectoral approach in an attempt to address nagging problems. The agency struck new levels of strategic collaborations with regional countries and other global shipping nations with huge trade interest in the GoG.

Deep Blue Project assets include Marine Assets: Special Mission Vessels 2 (DB Abuja and DB Lagos), 17 Fast Intervention Boats. Air Assets: Special Mission Helicopters 3, Special Mission Aircrafts 2, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

Land Assets and 17 Armored Vehicles.

Other facilities are – Command, Control, Computer, Communication and Intelligence (C4i) Centre, Training Facilities (Shooting Range, C4i Training Centre etc.) Various training were organized for all personnel in the deep blue project on how to operate the assets and facilities.

The Deep Blue Project Assets were classified into 3 (three) with over 254 personnel drawn from military and paramilitary organizations. These are Marine, Land and Air Assets.

MARITIME SECURITY:

SPOMO ACT

Before 2019, the nation didn’t have a separate law to try offenders and criminals arrested in piracy and kidnapping. Therefore, Jamoh pushed for a formal legislation and the Suppression of Piracy and other Maritime Related Offences (SPOMO) Act was signed into law by Mr. President in June 2019. As of today, under the SPOMO Act, the agency has secured convictions. This has also served as a deterrent to would-be criminals.

Implementation of the SPOMO Act led to better partnership with the Nigerian Navy and other security agencies within and outside to gainfully explore ways and means to attain peace in the GoG region. The success of this approach enabled Nigeria’s delisting from the International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) Red List as well as the International Bargaining Forum’s (IBF) Unsafe Waters List.

To further deter these criminalities on the waterways and make the youths gainfully employed, the Agency engaged the Marine Litter Marshals.

REVENUE GENERATION

Since Dr Jamoh mounted the saddle in 2020, NIMASA has paid over N100billion into the federal government coffers. Between January 2020 to June 2022, N99, 944,345,082 was remitted to the federal government, records say.

SEAFARERS DEVELOPMENT

Under the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP), NIMASA has enrolled 2,041 student cadets since inception in 2009.

The number of officers so far trained is 656. While 625 cadets have obtained their Certificate of Competence (CoC), 31 others qualified as Naval Architects. While 360 cadets have completed seatime and are awaiting CoC, 351 have been assigned to MTIs and awaiting seatime; 120 withdrew with10 deceased.

STAFF WELFARE

Dr Jamoh inherited a staff condition of service which was reviewed last in 2010. Realizing the critical role a well-motivated workforce plays in maintaining a productive organization, he went on to secure an upward review of staff condition of service so as to increase commitment and efficiency on their part.

MARITIME SAFETY

At the end of the last quarter, 2021, the Federal Government approved the removal of wrecks from Badagry channel up to the Tin Can Island. In the first quarter of 2022 also, Government approved the removal of wrecks in Western zone in Lagos, Eastern zone in Port Harcourt and central Zone with headquarters in Warri. All these projects have achieved major milestones.

NIMASA engaged the Nigerian Navy Naval Dockyard in Lagos to repair operational vessels, Millennia 1 and Millennium 2. Today both vessels and five others are almost ready for deployment for enforcement purposes. This will also enhance search-and- rescue operation, port and flag state administration, amongst others.

In order to attend to the emergencies that may occur after a Search and Rescue Operation, the Agency has built two brand new Search and Base clinics of international standard at Azare Crescent, Apapa and Kirikiri.

“We are hopeful to commission them soon. The hospital is not for NIMASA or Nigeria, but original Regional States. NIMASA is in charge of nine countries in terms of Search and Rescue. The hospital is of high international standard where we hope to treat all caliber of patients locally and internationally with the state-of- the-arts equipments when completed, NIMASA says.

“In the area of Flag and Port State Administration, at the inception of the administration, there was no single vessel for enforcement in the past. Today, we have built seven brand new bullet proof boats and we expect them to have completed the building. They are being built in Spain, and we are hoping that before the end of March, we will receive and commission the vessels. As soon as the vessels are commissioned, there will be enhanced enforcement performance; and we plan to divide the use of the vessels not only in Lagos, but also to other zones of the Agency. All these will cater for the issue of safety.”

MARITIME TRAINING

In the area of education, the Agency introduced the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP). The Nigerian NSDP development program is a capacity development programme.

In order to ensure that Nigeria’s major maritime training institution is not relegated to the background, NIMASA has improved her interface with the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) Oron. The Agency’s statutory funding of the MAN Oron has been on point since 2020.

Currently, MAN Oron has Simulators, among other state-of- the- art facilities, and the funding by NIMASA has been unhindered. This is in addition to other private maritime institutions such as Charkins. They are now also coming up with a lot of accreditation of diplomas and other short-term certificate courses that are being done locally, thus, saving foreign exchange.

In addition to this initiative, the Agency created skills acquisition centres across the six geopolitical zones. For the South-West, one is in Lagos. In the South-East, there is one in Anambra; for South-South, there is one in Bayelsa. There is one in Maiduguri, Borno State, for North-East. For North-West, Kaduna has one while one is in Kwara for North Central.

So, these skill acquisition centers have the capacity of training younger Nigerians on different aspects of professionalism in the maritime sector. This idea is to help keep the youths busy thereby stemming the volume of criminality in the territorial waters. Records show that from the third quarter of 2021 till date, one single attack has not been recorded on the territorial waters.

SHIPPING DEVELOPMENT

The critical aspect of shipping development encompasses fleet expansion, shipbuilding and ship repairs. Shipping is responsible for over 90 percent of international transportation of goods that sustain the global supply chain, which is a significant component of the global economy, enhancing import and exports of goods and services.

NIMASA is poised to advance shipping by ensuring a conducive environment for commercial shipping and encouraging more indigenous participation in the global shipping trade.

LAST LINE

No doubt, Dr Jamoh’s scorecard at three years is impressive. But certain areas still yearn for attention as he inches towards the end of his first tenure as NIMASA Director General.

As some industry watchers say, it has become necessary to raise the standard of Nigerian Certificate of Competency (CoC) by inviting United Kingdom and American maritime authorities for a facility and faculty assessment visit to the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, especially now that basic STWC training equipments are in place. Their observations and recommendations have to be noted and painstakingly followed.

Steps should be taken to possibly meet whatever standards the visitors may prescribe and recruit internationally recognized facility members and trainers for MAN.

Nigeria should sign a MoU with the UK and US authorities to recognize and accept Nigerian CoCs after meeting all the prescribed standards.

Nigeria should put on ground a two-year internal re-evaluation arrangement to ensure that attained standards are not compromised but improved upon in line with the expectations of modern navigation and global maritime trends.

There are expectations that Nigeria should look inwards and train more people at home at lesser costs but with higher chances of working onboard any seagoing vessel anywhere in the world with NIMASA CoC.

Nigeria should consider migrating beyond the present near-coastal voyage (NCV) of certification to certifying masters and chief engineers while constantly re existing MoUs.

NIMASA should work towards improving Nigeria’s ship registry to attract more registrations perhaps beginning with the fleet under the Nigerian LNG Limited (NLNG) whose vessels fly foreign flags.

Till date, illegal poaching of fishes and other aquatic products by foreigners flourish on Nigerian waters with little or no control. Over 40% of global Illegal Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing occur in Africa out of which the GoG accounts for a sizable portion. Jamoh and NIMASA should be able to capture IUU fishing as a maritime crime under its tripod and explore avenues to curb the menace.

For now, many NSDP training beneficiaries remain without jobs. More opportunities should be created for them and others awaiting seatime when indigenous ship-owners have access to fund ship acquisition.

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Maritime Agencies

CUSTOMS’ ZONE ‘A’ SPORTS EVENT: CGC Adeniyi Highlights Need for Discipline, Teamwork in Customs Operations.

Published

1 day ago

September 7, 2026

Admin

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‎By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
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‎With a colourful display of sporting artistry, discipline and commitment, the Zone ‘A’ of the Nigeria Customs Service, Saturday, concluded the finals of her 2026 Inter-Command Games competition and award ceremonies.
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‎Zone ‘A’ of the Service comprises 15 autonomous Commands . These are Apapa; Federal Operations Unit (FOU, Ikeja; Kirikiri Lighter Terminal; Lagos Free Trade Zone; Lilypond Export; Murtala Mohammed Airport Command and the Murtala Mohammed International Airport Command. Others are Lagos Industrial Command; Ogun 1, Idiroko Command; Ogun 2, Abeokuta; PTML Command; Seme; Tincan; Western Marine Command and the Customs Police.
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‎In his opening remarks, Comptroller – General of the Service, Dr Bashir Adewale Adeniyi paid glowing tributes to the Zonal Coordinator, Zone A, Assistant Comptroller-General (ACG) Mohammed Babandede, the Chairman of the Organising Committee, Comptroller Chidi Nwokorie and his team for the colourful and impressive arrangement for the competition.
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‎Commenting on the state of sports infrastructure of the Service generally, the CGC called for noticeable improvements across all formations to develop the sporting talents of officers as this plays a key role in ensuring fitness and chances of enhanced prospects of productivity by officers who use such facilities.
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‎He described as unacceptable the state of sporting facilities at the Customs Training College, Ikeja, venue of the event, observing that it does not speak good of a Service that has made significant contributions to the growth of sports in Nigeria.
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‎Stating that consolidation , collaboration and innovation remain the key fulcrum of his tenure, CGC Adeniyi commended sister security agencies that participated in the event, including the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, describing their presence as a further effort to deepen the existing collaboration and partnership in the discharge of national security responsibilities.
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‎Adeniyi noted that Customs had produced athletes and teams that had excelled in various sporting competitions, recalling that at a time, the Service was the defending champion in male and female volleyball and had also performed strongly in basketball, football, athletics and beach volleyball. He said the service was already building an ultra-modern sporting facility in one of its barracks in Kano and promised that a befitting sports facility would be included in the proposed new location of the FOU and the Customs Training College Iperu, Ogun State.
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‎Beyond sports, the CG said the competition offered important lessons that Customs officers should apply to their professional duties, particularly discipline, teamwork and strategy. He stressed that just as success in sports required discipline and effective teamwork, Customs operations and revenue generation also required clear strategies and coordinated efforts.
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‎He congratulated the winners and encouraged those who lost to prepare for future competitions, urging officers to maintain the spirit of sportsmanship and teamwork in the discharge of their responsibilities.
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‎At the finals of the football competition, the Customs Police Command carried the day by defeating the MMIA side by a 1-0.
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‎The event featured march past and parade by all Commands under Zone ‘A’ as well as beautiful display by Customs expert riders.
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Maritime Agencies

Parts Central Ltd Set To Turn Waterway Waste into Wealth, says Onifade.

Published

4 days ago

September 4, 2026

Admin

Mr Henry Olaoluwa Onifade

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‎By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
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‎The growing volume of plastic waste, water hyacinth and other marine litter clogging Nigeria’s inland waterways can be turned into economic wealth through recycling, biofuels and other value-added processes.
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‎Mr Henry Olaoluwa Onifade, Managing Director, Parts Central Limited stated this in Lagos during activities marking his birthday. He also provided updates on his company’s recently launched nationwide waterways clean-up initiative in partnership with the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA).
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‎“We don’t have waste anymore; waste is now wealth,” he declared. The collaboration with NIWA, Onifade stated, is an initiative designed not merely to remove waste from Nigeria’s waterways but to develop sustainable systems for converting recovered materials into useful products.
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‎He explained that biodegradable materials collected during the clean-up would not simply be discarded. They could be processed for various applications, including biofuels and other products.
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‎According to him, the company is also examining technologies for sorting and processing plastic waste for recycling, stressing that the objective is to create an economically viable circular economy around Nigeria’s waterways.
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‎Onifade said the growing interest from government agencies, ministries, associations and other stakeholders in cleaner waterways was an indication that the initiative was addressing a critical national challenge.
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‎He noted that the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) was also engaging stakeholders on reducing plastic pollution in waterways.
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‎“We are happy that we can even think of a possible pollution-free waterways and roll it out. Since we rolled it out, we’ve heard of different people, associations, organisations and states that are now talking about it, which is very good for us,” he said.
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‎“Our goal is for us to have pollution-free waterways. By God’s grace, we will integrate everybody who has a very good and genuine mindset that pollution-free waterways is possible in Nigeria.”
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‎Onifade disclosed that Parts Central was developing a technology-driven database covering ports, jetties, landing sites, riverbanks, dockyards and other locations connected to Nigeria’s inland waterways.
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‎He said the database would enable the company and relevant government stakeholders to determine the volume of waste generated across different locations and deploy resources more effectively.
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‎Every jetty and landing port would be assessed to determine whether appropriate waste-management facilities were available, while boats and other watercraft would also be incorporated into the data-gathering process.
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‎“It’s not for us to have the data, because if you don’t have data of the people you want to cater for, you don’t know how to cater for them,” he declared.
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‎Onifade explained that Parts Central had spent considerable time testing different technologies and devices capable of tackling waterway pollution, adding that the exercise would eventually incorporate manufacturers and other stakeholders within the plastics and waste-management value chain.
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‎Parts Central, he disclosed, was preparing to extend the clean-up campaign beyond Lagos, with plans to flag off the waterways clean-up exercise in Port Harcourt and Imo State as part of its broader expansion across the country.
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‎Onifade said the company was currently putting structures in place to ensure that the initiative was properly coordinated and supported by data before expanding to additional locations to create a nationwide system where waterways would not only be cleaner but would also become sources of employment, enterprise and wealth creation.
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‎“Our goal is for us to have pollution-free waterways,” he reiterated, adding that the company would continue to work with government agencies, communities, private-sector operators and other stakeholders towards achieving the objective.
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‎Onifade also defended his transition from partisan politics to business, saying the experience gained in politics had strengthened his understanding of public needs, motivating him to pursue practical solutions through enterprise.
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‎“I took my own to the other side. I took it from politics to business,” he said.
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‎He urged Nigerians to embrace the concept of converting environmental challenges into economic opportunities.
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‎ “No more waste on the waterways; we will now have wealth on the waterways.”
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Maritime Agencies

Oyetola Transfers Inland Dry Ports to NPA, Sets Up Committee for NSC–NPERA Transition.

Published

5 days ago

September 3, 2026

Admin

H.E. Adegboyega Oyetola, Minister of Marine and Blue Economy.

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‎By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
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‎In a move aimed at creating a clear separation between port economic regulation, development and operations, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola, has directed the transfer of the inland dry port (IDP) functions of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) to the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
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‎The Minister has also directed the immediate constitution of a ministerial committee to oversee the transition of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council into the newly established Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA), following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s assent to the NPERA Act, 2026.
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‎According to a statement issued in Abuja Thursday by Dr Bolaji Akinola, the Minister’s Special Adviser, the directives are part of measures to establish a clear institutional framework for the new port economic regulatory regime to eliminate overlapping responsibilities and ensure that agencies under the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy operate within clearly defined mandates.
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‎The NPERA Act, signed by President Tinubu in August, formally establishes a substantive economic regulator for Nigeria’s port sector, bringing to an end a two-decade wait for a dedicated statutory port economic regulator.
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‎With the enactment of the law, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, which had operated as the country’s interim port economic regulator since 2014, transmutes into NPERA.
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‎Under the new framework, NPERA is expected to focus primarily on its core economic regulatory responsibilities, including the regulation of tariffs and charges, promotion of competition, licensing, service standards, commercial dispute resolution and protection of port users.
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‎Oyetola said the transition from NSC to NPERA provides an opportunity to establish a regulatory institution that is clearly separated from operational, developmental and promotional responsibilities.
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‎“We must get the transition right. The establishment of NPERA is a landmark reform, and the process of moving from the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to the Nigeria Ports Economic Regulatory Agency must be carefully managed. The ministerial committee will provide the necessary oversight to ensure that the transition is seamless and that every function is domiciled in the appropriate institution,” he said.
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‎The Minister stressed that the credibility and effectiveness of an economic regulator depend, in part, on its ability to function as an impartial referee without being encumbered by responsibilities that could create actual or perceived conflicts of interest.
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‎According to him, the Federal Government’s objective is to ensure that NPERA is allowed to concentrate fully on its statutory regulatory mandate, while functions that are operational, developmental or promotional in nature are transferred to agencies with the appropriate mandates and institutional capacity.
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‎“The emergence of NPERA marks a new chapter in the governance of Nigeria’s port sector. It is therefore important that the new economic regulator is freed from functions that are not compatible with economic regulation. A regulator cannot function as an operator and, at the same time, be expected to be perceived as an unbiased referee,” Oyetola said.
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‎He added that a clear separation of responsibilities would strengthen confidence in the regulatory framework, enhance transparency and create a more predictable operating environment for port users, investors, terminal operators, shipping companies and other stakeholders.
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‎The Minister assured stakeholders that the transfer should not be interpreted as a reduction in the Federal Government’s commitment to the development of inland dry ports across the country. Rather, he said, the objective is to strengthen the IDP programme by placing its promotion within an institution better positioned to integrate the facilities into the nation’s wider port infrastructure and operational network.
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‎“We are committed to strengthening the development of the Inland Dry Ports by placing their promotion within the agency with the appropriate operational and infrastructure mandate. The ultimate objective is to create a more efficient and integrated port system that serves the entire country,” Oyetola added.
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