Shippers’ Council Raises the Alarm over Attacks on Nigeria’s Waterways

The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), in collaboration with the Nigerian Navy, yesterday in Abuja, disclosed their readiness to tackle the security challenges bedeviling Nigeria’s seaways.

This is even, as the NSC’s Executive Secretary, Mr. Hassan Bello has raised the alarm over the spate of attacks on Nigeria’s waterways, disclosing that vessels plying the country’s waters had been targeted 88 times in one year by pirates.

Bello, who spoke during a courtesy visit to the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral, Ibok Ibas, expressed the need for the Navy to provide a “platform to be placed strategically offshore and guards transferred to each vessel in and then dropped off out such that there is always armed naval security presence from about 80 nautical miles off Bonny fairway bouy, up to Onne” in Rivers State.

The executive secretary, while lamenting the challenges confronting the maritime sector, revealed that the adaptive nature of the security threats contributes immensely to the poor competitiveness of the nation’s ports, thereby impeding trade and affecting the nation’s gross domestic product.

“We have received various complaints from the shipping companies who have been forced to provide their own security to escort their vessels to port (especially at the eastern ports). In spite of their efforts, between 2017 and 2018, there have been 88 attacks in Niger Delta.” “For instance, 2016 to 2018, there were 10,673 vessels’ calls at the ports with gross registered tonnage of over 329 million. However, one of major challenges in the maritime sector is security,” he said.

Bello added that, the cost of providing their own security is passed on to the consignee, contributing to the high cost of the product in the market.

He stated that due to the high level of maritime security incidents in the Gulf of Guinea, “the War Risk surcharge is imposed on Nigeria, adding that this impacts on freight charged on Nigeria-bound cargo.

“In addition to the various measures being put in place by the Navy and other relevant agencies, there is need for Navy to support the passage of Anti-piracy Bill into law.

“This will replace the security escort service which SAN members and other shipping companies are currently running. There may be need to authorise the shipping lines that trade in Nigeria’s territorial waters to have armed guards on board their vessels to deter attempts on their vessels as suggested by shipping lines,” he said.

Responding, the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Ibok Ibas, said: “I am happy the Executive Secretary of Shippers Council has embraced the responsibilities of the Council and also highlighted some of the challenges that Nigeria is having presently and what efforts have been made to mitigate against these challenges.”