DG NIMASA says Nigeria delisted from piracy list for first time

Nigeria has recorded a drastic drop in the cases of sea piracy since President Buhari launched the Deep Blue Project in June last year according to the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Dr. Bashir Jamoh.

Jimoh disclosed this while addressing journalists at the 53rd session of the State House Press briefing organised by the presidential Communications team.

And giving an update on the activities of the agency and how it has effectively enhanced the safety of Nigeria’s maritime waters, he said 34 incidents of piracy were recorded last year with no reported cases of attack on vessels.

According to him, from the first quarter to date, the agency has not recorded one single accident in the country’s territorial waters in terms of piracy attacks from last quarter of 2021 to date.

This, according to him has led to the cancellation of the stigma placed on Nigeria as the most dangerous water as well as removing Nigeria from the piracy list in March 2022, the first in history.

Gbemi Saraki, the Minister of State for Transportation, stated that the Agency’s efforts with the Ministry’s backing were beginning to yield results and urged the continuation of the fight against piracy in the nation’s waterways.

Gbemi Saraki also noted that for over 28 years, Nigeria was in the media for the wrong reasons with regard to pirate attacks on the Gulf of Guinea.

“In the last five months we have recorded zero attacks and I think that says it all about my assessment of NIMASA. Rather than words, action has shown that we are very proud that we are getting it and I think the most important thing is that we do not rest on our oars and see how best we can sustain this record”.