Dr. Dakuku Peterside, the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has said that tackling rising cases of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea requires multi-stakeholder approach.
Addressing journalists at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja on his way to Singapore, Peterside said that a legal framework that prescribes stiffer sanctions, a more vigorous and vigilant military led patrol and better intelligence gathering network would help but cannot be all the solution to tackling sea piracy.
The NIMASA boss, who noted that the activities of pirates stifle shipping and by extension commerce which is the major driver of global economy, pointed out that “it is because of the priority attention given to tackling piracy that America created the coast guard which has so far proven effective in tackling piracy”.
On whether NIMASA and Nigeria are considering setting up a specialized coast guard like the US did, Peterside said that every avenue would be explored towards keeping Nigerian waterways safe as well as the ships that ply them but that it requires wider consultation highlighting that NIMASA under his leadership is already championing a number of initiatives aimed at achieving zero-pirate activities in Nigerian waters.
While lamenting the unfortunate inclusion of Nigeria among the top three countries where pirate activities occur, the DG said that with the new fighting impetus, the trend would be reversed soon as his administration was committed to repositioning NIMASA for the accomplishment of its core mandate of ensuring safe, secure shipping and a cleaner marine environment.
The DG is in Singapore at the invitation of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore. He is billed to address a forum of maritime regulators and experts at this year’s Singapore Maritime Week on the topic, “Indispensible Shipping: Meeting the Regulatory Requirements”.
