… As Nigeria signs MoU with MTCC on GHG emission reduction
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has said that contrary to the 18 marine accidents it recorded in the year 2020, it has recorded 12 marine accidents in the outgone year 2021.
The Director General, NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh who disclosed this in a press briefing in Lagos recently observed that the agency had conducted investigations on those accidents and recommended necessary actions to see how those accidents could be avoided in future.
Jamoh noted that the agency had in line with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) standard for all maritime administration, established Marine Accident Investigation Unit just like their counterpart in the aviation sector.
His words, “Similarly, as we used to experience accidents on our roads, we also do experience accidents at sea and therefore, in line with the International Maritime Organization Standard for all maritime administration to establish Marine Accident Investigation Unit, just like our counterpart in the aviation sector has, we also have Marine Accident Investigation Unit.
“From what we have, the Marine Accident Investigation data information for the year 2020, we recorded 18 accidents while in the year 2021, we recorded 12 accidents and the agency conducted investigations on those accidents and recommended necessary actions to see how we can avoid those accidents.”
The NIMASA DG further revealed that the agency had to introduce safety regulations for the use of the barges and tug boats within the year under review which according to him led to the drastic reduction in the number of trailers queuing up on Apapa roads.
“There are drastic increase in the use of barges to transport containers and because of that, we have to introduce safety regulations for the use of the barges and tug boats”, he stated.
“We also tried to introduce ISO 9001 Quality Assurance Certification for the operation of Maritime Safety Department and approval of ISO 9001 in 2015 quality management system for Maritime Safety and Seafarers Standard Department Bureau granted us in April 2020 meaning that we have reached that standards since 2020. Revival of Global Maritime Distress System (GMDSS) equipment necessary for sending alarm in emergency. The GMDSS is to ensure safety of life at sea” he further add.
On marine environment, Dr. Jamoh informed that Nigeria had entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Maritime Transport Coordination Centre (MTCC) on the climate change for Africa to commence activities towards ensuring GHG emission reduction in the maritime sector with emphasis on achieving 0.5 percent soluble oxide S02 in bunker fuel.
This, he said, was the international regulation by the IMO to create awareness, establishment of contact fuel supply register as well as accreditation of laboratory for testing bunker oil.
According to him, “Our laboratory is already completed, before the middle of this year, we will have to enter into PPP agreement with professionals who can man the laboratory and we commence the utilization of such laboratory.
“Capacity building on emission reduction and establishment of compliance monitoring and enforcement team. This are the steps we are taking on the Marine Environment Management. Similarly, we have produced manual for the admissibility of claims under IOPC fund. The manual is to contain the price index for determining the contour of claims for settlement in the case of pollution.
“We have been experiencing pollution, recently, we have been battling with pollution that we have in Niger – Delta. Many times when we experience that, we have lots of claims through the International Maritime Organization and we can’t do that if we don’t have price index. What we are saying is, we have introduced such price index. We have awarded contract to a contractor to produce that so that Nigeria can benefit from the fund of the IOPC marine environment pollution.”
Photo: Dr. Bashir Jamoh, Director General, NIMASA.
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