West Africa: Red Sea Unrest Causes Heavier Shipping Traffic in Gulf of Guinea - IMO

7 October 2024

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO), over the weekend, said shipping traffic in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG), has increased due to unrest in the Red Sea.

This was disclosed by the secretary-general of the IMO, Arsenio Dominguez, after meeting with the director general of the Nigerian Marítime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Dayo Mobereola, at the IMO's headquarters, London.

Dominguez also commended Nigeria for leading the charge to maintain the safety and security of commercial shipping in the Gulf of Guinea as the situation in the Red Sea has led to heavier shipping traffic.

The IMO scribe also commended the NIMASA DG for engaging the technical team at the IMO on how Nigeria can address all identified gaps from the 2016 audit conducted by the organisation.

"I want to appreciate the effort of Nigeria on the progress made so far as regards security in the Gulf of Guinea region.

There were concerns due to the situation in the Red Sea and resultant pressure around the gulf of Guinea but we are pleased that the situation has remained the same. We at IMO have been working with Nigeria through NIMASA and we desire that the partnership continues."

I am also happy that you, DG, are meeting with IMO technical staff on how to close all identified gaps before the next audit cycle. This is a step in the right direction and we are ready to give any technical support," he stated.

The IMO Secretary-General also announced that the Organization is working on enhancing the Global Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS) to provide better services to member states in terms of information management.

On his part, the NIMASA DG, Dr. Mobereola, declared that his administration will pay attention to details on how Nigeria can become a voice to be reckoned with in global maritime diplomacy.

He added that Nigeria is committed to sustaining the momentum of recent achievements in safety and security within the maritime domain.

According to Mobereola, "My tenure will leverage existing relationships both locally and internationally to sustain the momentum in safety and security within the Nigerian maritime domain. The creation of the Marine and Blue Economy Ministry in Nigeria by Mr. President emphasises the policy direction of this administration. Our goal is to ensure that Nigeria plays an active leading role not just in the region or the IMO, but in the global maritime space."

Speaking further, he noted that his meeting with IMO technical staff was aimed at ensuring that NIMASA and the IMO are aligned before the next audit cycle.

"I discovered today that some critical information regarding our administration and the technical team at the IMO is obsolete, and we are reviewing it to update it immediately. We do not see the IMO audit as an examination but rather as a guide to assist Nigeria in achieving its potential; hence, my decision to get personally involved. We need to get the basics right". He stated.

He also announced that the minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has constituted a committee to address all areas of concern raised in the 2016 IMO audit report.

According to him, the job of the committee includes reviewing NIMASA's enabling laws and effectively implementing a corrective action plan.

AllAfrica publishes around 500 reports a day from more than 100 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.