Government restates commitment to safety in maritime sector

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has restated Federal Government commitment to ensure safety standards in the nation’s maritime sector.

In his address at the regional training on Ports State Control (PSC) for West and Central Africa in Lagos, Amaechi explained that because merchant ships often trade outside the areas that are under the jurisdiction of the Flag State, maritime agencies couldn’t therefore, guarantee that all ships under their flag are in full compliance with safety requirements.

A statement issued by head (Media)  of  Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Lami Tumaka explained that the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) mandates maritime administrations to periodically carryout port state control in compliance with the instruments to which the Flag State is a party.

Amaechi explained that the high level of maritime activities in the waters imposes enormous challenges to coastal countries in the West and Central Africa in terms of building a robust and effective maritime safety regime.   According to the minister, the need to continually update the knowledge of vessel inspectors and surveyors cannot be overstated “especially against the backdrop of rapid changes at both the industry and operating environment levels”.

He reiterated the commitment of the Federal Government to repositioning the maritime sector for effectiveness and efficiency and also assured member states of Nigeria’s co-operation for a better Port State Control implementation in Africa.