Ship manifest operation now by digital automation, says NIMASA

THE NIGERIAN MARI TIME Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), has deployed a full digital manifest management regime for all vessels calling at all ports across the country as it aims to develop automation of port operations, improve commercial shipping activities and promote ease of business in the maritime industry.

Osagie Edward, NIMASA’s head of public affairs, in a statement on behalf of the agency, stressed that physical transactions concerning sailing certificates and cargo manifest processing were being phased out completely by the government, stakeholders to fully embrace the new digital initiative by visiting its official portal and complying with the directives.

Bashir Jamoh, the agency’s director-general, is quoted in the statement as saying the automation is aimed at further reducing human interface, improving efficiency and addressing revenue leakages.

He explained that in line with the federal government’s executive order on ease of doing business, NIMASA is committed to improving turnaround time of vessels, reduction of human interface in majority of its transactions with stakeholders to ensure transparency and professionalism that the sector requires to grow.

Dwelling further on the agency’s digital transformation implementations, Jamoh said NIMASA currently receives and processes manifests electronically and has improved operational relationship with “sister agencies” in its determination to convey sailing clearance for vessels to the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) electronically.

“Right now we have ensured that the process of submitting and processing manifests is reduced from 72 hours to 5 hours for VLCCs (Very Large Crude Carriers) and larger container vessels whereas it would only take two hours or less for smaller vessels),” Jamoh is quoted as saying. The NIMASA director-general noted that the benefits that would be derived from the total digitalisation of all the agency’s processes expected to be completed by 2022 would be enormous not just for the stakeholders, but for the country at large.