With a latest report from the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) indicating that incidents of maritime insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea dropped to its lowest in 27 years since 1994, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the agency saddled with protecting Nigeria’s Exclusive Economic Zones is not resting on its oars.
To this effect, the agency over the weekend unveiled and deployed new aerial assets under its Deep Blue Project.
At the unveiling ceremony of the assets and the graduation ceremony of Pilots and other air assets trainees under the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructures, the Director General of the Agency, Dr. Bashir Jamoh assured of the agency’s commitment to enhancing the security of the nation’s waterways.
He decried the illegal activities on the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) which has seen the country lost billions of dollars in revenue and a loss of our reputation amongst the comity of nations and the attendant stigmatization of the GoG as the most dangerous.
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Dr. Jamoh thundered that no more will Nigeria be helpless and no more will our oceans and waters be taken over by pirates.
At the epoch event, 43 officers and men of the Nigerian Air force received certificates for specialized training as pilots and copilots for the Special Mission Aircraft, special Mission Specific Equipment Operators, Special Mission Aircraft Maintenance Technicians, operators for the Unmanned Aerial Systems, and C4i operators for effective platform manning.
The NIMASA Director General said the graduation of the air assets crew was another significant leg of the Deep Blue Project, which he described as “our grand intervention in the area of our nation’s maritime security and our eyes in the sky.”
Speaking further, he appreciated the Nigerian Airforce for their commitment to the Project with particular reference to providing facilities for in-country training of the pilots and others to complete the training module having successfully completed the technical component abroad.
He added that the challenge is not about deploying the assets but about its maintenance and sustaining the tempo of the project so that it can outlive the present generations and continue to be of benefit to future generations. The NIMASA DG thus reiterated the Agency’s commitment to effective management of the assets.
Dr. Jamoh noted that the progress made so far is encouraging, adding that intelligence gathering within the maritime domain has reached new heights with recent video evidence of improper ballast water discharge in the nation’s waters.
“This Project as you are aware, is the first of this kind and we are doing so many things for the first time as a civilian Agency of government working with the Armed Forces. Our commitment is unflinching.
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Also speaking at the event, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Isiaka Oladayo Amao said that the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure otherwise known as the Deep Blue Project has strategically repositioned the Nigerian Air Force to effectively support NIMASA to provide an investment-friendly environment through provision of adequate security.”
Air Marshal Amao, who was represented by the Chief of Training and Operations of the Airforce, Air Vice Marshal JMD Gwani commended the Management of NIMASA for her commitment to seeing through the successful implementation of the Deep Blue Project.
In his words “I must say that the graduation of these Nigerian Air Force personnel today who will be operating alongside personnel from sister security agencies resonates with the CAS’ vision to “enhance and sustain airpower capabilities required for joint force employment in pursuit of national imperatives. I am glad to note that all these have strategically repositioned the Nigerian Air Force to effectively support NIMASA to provide an investment-friendly maritime environment through provision of adequate security”.
On his part, the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Honorable Lucky Aiyedatiwa Commended the synergy between NIMASA and the Nigerian Armed forces to secure the nations territorial waters.
Also speaking at the event, Coordinator of the Deep Blue Project, and Director, Planning, Research and Data Management Services Department (PRDMSD), NIMASA, Mr. Anthony Ogadi, said the crew had nine foreign and 10 local trainings on various platforms of the Deep Blue Project under the supervision of the project contractor, HLSI.
Ogadi stated that some local training for the operation of other assets under the maritime security scheme, including the Special Mission Aircraft, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, and armoured personnel carriers were simultaneously on-going at Ikeja and Ojo in Lagos, and Elele in Rivers State.
Also speaking, the Country Director, HLSI Nigeria, Tal Spekto expressed his happiness at graduating the trainees.
Spekto later took the dignitaries on a tour of the assets which included two Special Mission Aircraft for surveillance of the EEZ, three Special Mission Helicopters for search and rescue; and four Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.