US Certifies 22 Nigerian Seaports

The United States Government has certified 22 Nigerian seaports to have full compliance with the International Ship and Port Security (ISPS) Code and has therefore exempted them from a list of seaports on which it yesterday imposed “Conditions of Entry” for vessels originating or calling from them.

The US Mission in Nigeria said in a statement yesterday that it was henceforth, required that Nigerian vessels met certain security measures before entering US seaports, but stated that 22 Nigerian port facilities (terminals and jetties) would be exempted from the Conditions of Entry (COE).

The statement said that the 22 port facilities had demonstrated effective anti-terrorism measures and would no longer be subjected to additional security precautions. It further noted that the COE was not meant as trade sanctions or ban on Nigerian ships from entering US ports, but to make Nigerian ports and ships to have additional security measures while non-exempt Nigerian port facilities were to be verified by the US Coast Guard.

“The US Coast Guard has worked cooperatively with the Government of Nigeria to identify and address port security deficiencies observed during the assessments. Only 22 Nigerian port facilities have demonstrated effective anti-terrorism measures and will not be subject to additional security
precautions,’’ the statement said, adding that the US Coast Guard would
continue to consult with the Nigerian Government in achieving full ISPS Code
requirements implementation.

Reacting to the development the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) said it was a good piece of news to have more Nigerian ports exempted from the US’ COE, as the number was fewer than 22 before yesterday release by the US Embassy.

“The good news is that we have now have more ports exempted from the US conditions of entry. This shows that our ports are doing well in compliance with the ISPS Code,” said NIMASA head of Public Relations, Mr Isichei Osamgbi.

Osamgbi however, could not confirm the number of ports earlier exempted, or the names of the exempted port facilities, as he pleaded for time to check some relevant data. He however did not confirm as at the time of filing this report.

NIMASA was in 2013 made the designation authority for the enforcement of the requirements of the ISPS Code at terminals, jetties and other port facilities in Nigerian seaports, after the federal government scrapped the Presidential Implementation Committee on Maritime Security and Safety (PICOMSS).