DG NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh (right) presenting a souvenir to the CG, NIS, Isah Idris Jere during the working visit by the Comptroller General to the NIMASA headquarters in Lagos.

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA and the Nigerian Immigration Service, NIS have agreed to deepen existing interagency collaboration with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU on Seafarers’ Travel documents and ensure their safety and security onboard and onshore.

This was the crux of discussions when  the Comptroller General of the NIS, Mr. Isah Idris Jere led senior officials of the Service on a working visit to the Management of NIMASA.

Receiving the NIS delegation, the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh noted that the role of the Nigerian Immigration Service in enhancing security in the maritime domain is crucial, adding that seamless issuance of travel documents to seafarers is a key component in the nation’s quest to sustain maritime safety and security for ships and crew.

According to Dr. Jamoh, “Security on land is key to achieving a safe and secure maritime domain. NIMASA appreciates the need to work closely with the Immigration Service to improve security in the maritime domain. We need the Service to play a major role in issues of crew nationality, seafarers travel document and managing issues of stowaways, amongst others”.

While agreeing to synergize their efforts, Jamoh commended the contributions of the NIS in the implementation of the Suppression of Piracy and other Maritime Offences (SPOMO) Act.

“The passing into law of the SPOMO Act, and subsequent prosecutions recorded under that law has involved working closely with the NIS. With that being said, NIMASA will continue to offer our helping hand to the Nigeria Immigration Service even as we anticipate further collaboration”, Jamoh said.

The NIS Comptroller General identified issuance of temporary work permits to international vessel crews as well as preventing stowaways, as areas of frequent collaboration between both organs of Government while also commending NIMASA’s automation of dockworkers registration nationwide.

According to him, “Our visit to NIMASA is a signal that the Nigeria Immigration Service seeks continued collaboration and deepened synergy as we collectively work to address the issues facing us in our coastal lines and in maintaining the integrity of our territorial waters”.

“We welcome the Agency’s automation of dockworkers registration and issuance of biometric identity cards as a great step in the task of securing the nation’s ports.

Speaking further, the immigration Comptroller General said “Our blue border operational areas cut across the sea borders where we undertake the following activities among others: crew examination and control, signing on/signing off of embarking and disembarking vessels’ crews”.

“Others are stowaway control, processing of Temporary Work Permit (TWP), handling of passport referral cases, sighting of passport for consignees, granting of transit pass to disembarking/transiting crew members, granting of shore passes to deserving crews,” he said.