The Association of Marine Engineers and Surveyors, AMES, recently held a Maritime Technical Summit to address issues such as fallen/falling standards in safety and security, ship maintenance/survey, port state control, competent maritime manpower, policy formulation/implementation.

Search and Rescue, SAR,  efforts and protection of lives at sea was also an issue that the Nigerian maritime professionals asked government and its agencies to pay greater attention and commit resources to.

In response to the call/cries of members of AMES, the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside led a management team of the Agency to Abuja to confer with military chiefs on strategies to make the Gulf of Guinea, safer for ships and crew.

In separate discussions with the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Ibok Ete-Ibas and the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. General Tukur Buratai at the Defence Head Quarters in Abuja, Dr. Peterside acknowledged the gallantry of officers and men of the Nigerian Armed Forces in the fight against insurgency. He also noted that maritime security is a national and international obligation of all maritime stakeholders. He urged the Nigerian Navy not to relent in their effort s at curbing piracy and other sea crimes on Nigerian waters.

In His words “the Nigerian armed forces have risen to various national challenges at different times in our national history. Their ability and capability to deal with criminals in any guise, be it offshore or ashore is not in doubt. NIMASA as an Agency is willing to collaborate further with the military to initiate a joint patrol of the maritime domain with a view to decisively deal with piracy and other criminal acts”.

The military chiefs assured the NIMASA delegation of their support and preparedness to work with the agency to make the Nigerian maritime domain safer and ensure that economic activities are unhindered in any way by anyone or group of persons.

The DG who noted that maritime security is a national and international obligation of all stakeholders also called on the Nigerian Navy to continue with the good job of fighting piracy which they have been doing.