The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside has assured that the Agency was working with stakeholders and the global maritime community to ensure that the menace of piracy is totally stamped out in the Gulf of Guinea in order to allow for free flow of trade in the region.

The DG, who spoke on the sideline of the G7++ group summit held in Lagos, stated that the fact that the Italian government decided to hold the meeting in Lagos Nigeria, which is the first time outside Europe, showed that they believed in the country’s efforts to fight piracy and other criminal activities in the Nigeria and in the Gulf of Guinea.

He also stated that since Nigeria has been given the leadership role to curtail criminal activities in the region, the Agency has continued to collaborate with relevant authorities, both locally and internationally to put an end to the issues surrounding piracy in the region.

Speaking further, Peterside noted that NIMASA had also gone a step further to tackle piracy from four broad approaches. This includes Legal framework through an anti-piracy bill, which would soon be passed to law, thereby making Nigeria the first country in Africa to formulate such policy.

Other methods are: acquisition of military hardware, through partnership with an Israeli firm, which will enhance the Agency's response capabilities to criminal activities; enhancing its intelligence gathering system and regional integration; and collaboration through working with other African countries.

In the DG's words: “No piracy begins and ends in one jurisdiction. When there is a hot pursuit, they shift to another region. And on our part, we are determined to give them a hot chase through our partnership and other collaboration with other countries in the region.”

Meanwhile, the NIMASA DG used the opportunity to clear the air on the just concluded International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Council election and noted that the international community still reckoned with Nigeria’s efforts in terms of its performance.

He stated that Nigeria was the first country in Africa that subjected itself to IMO audit, which rated its high in terms of security on its waterways in line with the International Ships and Ports Security (ISPS) facility code, with Nigeria having complied by over 80 per cent.

Also, in the area of ratification of IMO conventions, Peterside said Nigeria has done very well, "which is very evident in the day-to-day running of the maritime sector in Nigeria."

He explained that the Nigeria did not win the IMO Council election due to its starting the campaign fairly late, as it was still coming back into international reckoning with a new government. That inhibited NIMASA from reaching out early enough to its counterparts in other countries for support, some of whom had already made up their minds. He added that contrary to insinuations in the media, Nigeria did not spend as much money as was being peddled.

He, however, called on the media to continue to partner with the Agency in beaming its activities in good light and also expressed optimism that Nigeria had started preparation to return to the IMO Category C in the next election in 2019.

Earlier, Defence Minister, General Mansur Dan-Ali (rtd) had commended the collaboration between NIMASA and the Nigerian Navy and stated that it had also helped to curb criminal activities in the region.

Accordingly, he stated that the combined technological efforts of NIMASA, the Navy and other relevant Agencies had also helped to deter criminals from carrying out their nefarious activities on the nation's water ways and by extension the Gulf Guinea.

The G7++ Friends of Gulf of Guinea Group is headed by the Italian government, and it is poised to ensure sustainable interest in the promotion of peace, security and development in the Gulf of Guinea.

•Photo shows, From right: Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside; Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Mr. Bashir Jamoh; and the Executive Director, Operations, Engr. Rotimi Fashakin at the sideline of the G7++ summit on maritime piracy held at Eko Hotel, Lagos.

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