The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has introduced new measures to check security threats in the Nigerian maritime domain and deter stowaways from entering the country illegally.

Dr Bashir Jamoh, Director General of NIMASA, made this known in a statement signed by Mr Osagie Edward, Assistant Director, Public Relations, NIMASA, in Lagos on Thursday.

According to Jamoh, with the new measures, all ship captains are to submit the Security-Related Pre-Arrival Information (SRPA) forms to the agency not later than 48 hours before the ship’s arrival at any Nigerian port.

“Ship captains are also required to exchange the Declaration of Security (DoS), with the Port Facility Security Officer (PFSO), of their next port of call not later than 72 hours before the ship’s arrival at that port for conveyance to NIMASA within 48 hours.

“Additionally, all ships are to maintain 24 hours vigilance and surveillance to detect strange movements, including small boats and skiffs that may not be captured by the radar.

“Other measures include proper pre-departure search and completion of pre-departure form before departure from any port,” he said.

He added that all ships were required to switch on Automatic Identification Systems (AIS); close monitoring of communication channels and response to any VHF call from the Nigerian Navy or the Regional Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (RMRC).

Jamoh said the measures were consistent with the strategy of trying to keep one step ahead of the pirates, armed robbers, and anyone or anything that poses a danger to the country’s maritime domain and Nigeria in general.

“The procedures are easy to follow and deliberate steps have been taken to make the reporting process seamless, all for the good of the ship operators and the international shipping community.

“They are in keeping with NIMASA’s statutory mandate to provide maritime security and implement special actions to enhance security in line with the ISPS Code Implementation Regulations, ICIR, 2014,” he said.