The Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Arsenio Dominguez, has encouraged the Nigerian government to sustain the Deep Blue Project, a comprehensive maritime security apparatus credited with maintaining a zero-piracy record in the nation’s waters for the last three years.
Dominguez made the call after a three-day working visit to Nigeria, which culminated in an inspection and demonstration of the Deep Blue Project on Saturday.
The project is Nigeria’s integrated maritime security strategy championed by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency ( NIMASA) to tackle piracy and crime in the nation’s water and the Gulf of Guinea using a combination of land, sea and air assets.
The demonstration, held at the operational base of NIMASA at the Nigerian Navy Underwater Jetty, in Ojo, Lagos, left the IMO Secretary-General impressed by the sophistication and effectiveness of the deep blue assets.
In his remarks, Dominguez described the demonstration as “one of the most impressive displays that I have seen and experienced.”
He emphasized the project’s critical role, stating, “We know how important maritime security is, particularly for Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea. And I hope and I really encourage the government to sustain this project because the results are there. The fact that for the last three years there has not been a single piracy attack in the national waters of Nigeria just demonstrates the effectiveness.
“And of course this also demonstrates and replicates the fact that commerce will return and come back, which in turn is going to help the economy of the country.”
Speaking on the level of equipment of the anti piracy platforms, Dominguez confirmed its world-class status.
“Although I’m not an expert when it comes to those kind of equipment, but I can tell you that with the explanations of the experts, and if you combine that with the amazing display, that I have just experienced, I can tell that it’s not only state-of-the-art equipment, but the results actually prove that they have the right equipment in order to carry out these activities, “he said.
The IMO Chief commended the Nigerian government, the ministry of marine and blue economy and NIMASA for the design and implementation of the deep blue assets.
On how Nigeria’s maritime security success will help the country clinch the coveted IMO Council category C seat, Dominguez encouraged Nigeria to continue its campaign.
He said, “The International Maritime Organisation works with 176 member states. And I encourage Nigeria to continue their campaign for the election into the IMO Council. They have been there before. They know that they are doing very good work and I wish them a lot of success in the elections.”
Earlier, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, expressed optimism about Nigeria’s Council bid with the good success in maritime security and leading roles maritime development in Africa.
“The Deep Blue project is a multi-layered security architecture, that has earned Nigeria a zero piracy for the past three years. And it’s not enough for us to say so. It’s important for people, particularly the Secretary General, to witness the demonstration. It’s not a fluke, it’s a reality,” Oyetola stated.
The minister vowed to leverage the IMO Secretary-General’s positive assessment to intensify campaign efforts at the IMO Headquarters in London to ensure Nigeria is elected to the Council from November this year.
He also acknowledged the financial challenges of maintaining security in the Gulf of Guinea but affirmed the Federal Government’s determination to ensure the project’s continuity.
“It’s tough in terms of funding. But the federal government is determined to ensure that there’s no piracy in the waters. That’s part of what will allow us to harness the potential of the economy.
” I must commend all the people that are involved, the CEO of the management team, all the various agencies that have contributed in getting this thing to this stage. That means with teamwork, there’s nothing you cannot achieve. We will try to sustain it, “he said.
The demonstration was attended by Minister Oyetola, Secretary-General Dominguez, the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, and other key security officials.
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