Maritime security: NIMASA, Immigration deepen collaboration

Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Dr Bashir Jamoh (right) presenting souvenir to the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Isah Idris Jere during the working visit by the Comptroller General to the NIMASA headquarters in Lagos on Thursday

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Seafarers’ Travel document, which is meant to deepen their existing interagency collaboration.

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

NIMASA’s Director General, Dr Bashir Jamoh noted that the role of NIS 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 grow the maritime industry.

According to 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”.

The DG and the NIS Comptroller General thus agreed to develop an MoU to provide a framework for a working relationship.

Jamoh commended the NIS for its contributions in the implementation of the Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences (SPOMO) Act, stating: “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”.

On his part, 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.

Jere said: “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”.

Pic 1:

Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh (right) presenting a souvenir to the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Isah Idris Jere during the working visit by the Comptroller General to the NIMASA headquarters in Lagos yesterday.

Pic 2 & 3:

Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh (2nd right); Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Isah Idris Jere (2nd left); Executive Director Operations NIMASA, Shehu Ahmed (left) and  AssistantComptroller General in charge of Zone A. NIS, Kunle Osisanya during a working visit by the Comptroller General to the NIMASA headquarters in Lagos yesterday