Lagos, Aug. 18, 2023: The Nigerian Chamber of Shipping (NCS) and the United States Consulate, Lagos, have expressed partnership on new technologies that would improve the security situation in the Nigerian maritime domain.
The President of NCS, Mr Aminu Umar, said this when the Maritime Advisor to the United States Consulate, Lagos, Lt. Commander Patrick Moon led a delegation to the NCS’s headquarters in Lagos on Thursday.
According to Umar, the introduction of new technologies to maritime security will create a higher level of efficiency.
“We are looking at the U.S as a strategic partner that is already utilising these technologies and advanced security systems.
“We hope that they can partner with the Nigerian operators and security agencies to improve the security situation in the maritime domain,” he added.
Umar noted that as part of efforts to attain global best practices in shipping among Nigerian operators, the US Consulate and the NCS would begin a partnership geared towards capacity building.
The chamber boss said that both organisations flagged maritime security as the major area of interest because it affected all shipping stakeholders, especially the nations within the Gulf of Guinea (GOG).
“The meeting was primarily to meet Moon and the Economic Adviser, Ms Jordan LaChance.
“We were able to discuss and have an engagement on how we can collaborate in terms of advocacy and policies that we can improve.
“We also looked at areas for capacity development and capacity building. United States of America is the biggest country in the world in terms of shipping and they assist the rest of the world in manpower development for shipping.
“ In Africa, US has played a crucial role in ensuring that maritime security is improved, especially within the GOG region,” he said.
The NCS president, noted that although the security situation in the Nigerian maritime sector had improved in the last few years when compared to 10-15 years ago, there was need for continuous improvement and deployment of new technology.
Responding, Moon observed that the Nigerian maritime industry was actively involved in ensuring safer and secured shipping in an international business that affected people around the world.
Moon, who is also an officer of the U.S Coast Guards, noted that safe and secured shipping were something that was important to the U.S Coast Guards and the U.S Mission.
“One of the reasons the U.S Coast Guard was asked to come to Nigeria is to provide that connection and greater understanding between the maritime industry and regulators in Nigeria with the U.S. Mission,” he said.
Speaking on the relationship between U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy, Moon stated that both were sister services with a long history of cooperation.
“The U.S Coast Guard is distinct in that it is a military service that also performs regulatory functions, such as search and rescue coordination, commercial vessel inspections, and waterways management,” he said.
Moon was accompanied by the Economic Adviser to the U.S Consulate, Ms Jordan LaChance and Ms Ngozi Nkwoh
The meeting was also attended by NCS’s Governing Council members; Mrs Jean-Chiazor Anishere (SAN) and Ms Ifeoma Nwagbogu; and the Director General of NCS, Mrs Vivian Chimezie-Azubuike.
