The Provisional Committee of the proposed Nigerian Coast Guard (PC-NCG) has said that the absence of a Coast Guard Agency has exposed gaps in the Country’s maritime security architecture.
- +‘Absence of coast guards exposes gaps in Nigeria’s maritime security framework’
This followed a recent visit by a United States Coast Guard (USCG) delegation to assess Nigeria’s International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) compliance.
This followed a recent visit by a United States Coast Guard (USCG) delegation to assess Nigeria’s International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) compliance.
The USCG delegation, during its port facility inspection and assessment, praised Nigeria’s “measurable and encouraging” progress in security upgrades.
Noah Ichaba, Clcaptain, Chief Executive Officer/Accounting Officer of PC-NCG, said that the delegation’s assessment validates ongoing reforms and creates a foundation for technical cooperation ahead of the Coast Guard Bill’s passage.
Ichaba, in a statement issued by Piriye Kiyaramo, PC-NCG Firector of Communications and Public Affairs, described the visit’s outcome as a positive step toward deepening bilateral maritime security cooperation between Nigeria and the United States Coast Guard.
He said, “The absence of a Coast Guard agency from Nigeria’s maritime space has created gaps and noncompliance with international standards.
“It is time to close all existing vacuums, by establishing the Nigerian Coast Guard, placing Nigeria on par with other maritime nations.
“Talk without action avails nothing other than self-humiliation. Whether measurable or not, if the nation objectively tracks the losses suffered over the years, due to the absence of a Coast Guard, it would conclude that far more could have been achieved with one in the same period.
“The facts are not far-fetched: port safety and security are just a fraction of the Coast Guard’s core mandate, which includes securing ships and crews.
“The measurable process was merely an ad valorem (the value of a good or service) quantification, as it did not fully align with international maritime standards that Nigeria, as a maritime nation, must meet to upgrade its security framework, boost global shipping competitiveness, and keep pace with best practices.
“Whatever the current arrangements and milestones, the truth stares Nigeria in the face: without a Coast Guard as the true steward of maritime safety, security, operations, and the marine environment—as a reliable guardian of commercial interests and economic growth—all efforts will remain inadequate.:
