The Secretary General, Abuja Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control, Captain Sunday Umoren, says only 14 out of 22 coastal countries in the West and Central Africa conduct inspections on ships calling at their ports.
Speaking at a workshop organised by the IMO and the Abuja MoU for heads of maritime administrations in West and Central Africa in Lagos, Umoren called for a campaign for effective inspection regime in the region with focus on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW).
He told the heads of maritime administration participating in the workshop that detentions were not the best parameters to measure port state control efficiency. Umoren stressed the need to maximise the use of technologies to aid port state control in the region.
Taking this into consideration, Umoren noted that they are in the process of signing an agreement with ABS to conduct practical training on virtual port state inspection.
Bodycams with real-time recording is being considered with the need to ensure that they are intrinsically safe for the maritime world, especially tankers’ environment. Is this the way forward? We will wait until such is given the endorsement and approval required
the Abuja MoU chief said.
Also speaking, Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Bashir Jamoh, said that the growth potential and high expectations of maritime stakeholders for the industry would only be realised through the development of a system of harmonised port state control inspection procedures for West and Central Africa.
While declaring NIMASA’s commitment to Abuja MoU in its focus for reduction of substandard ships, curbing marine pollution and ensuring good working conditions of crew members onboard ships within member states waters, Jamoh urged the 22 member countries of the Abuja MoU to improve on their financial contributions to the organisation.
