The Federal Government of Nigeria has faulted the recent proposal by the UK-based Lloyds Shipping Services seeking to retain the War Risk Insurance Premium charged on all cargo coming into the country while monitoring the sustainability of the Integrated Maritime security infrastructure also called the Deep Blue Project on which the country has invested over $195million.

The Nigerian leader, Muhammadu Buhari, had officially inaugurated the Deep Blue Project assets penultimate week with a view to eliminating piracy and other maritime crimes not only in the country but also across the Gulf of Guinea. This is in addition to signing the Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences SPOMO 2019 Bill into law in June last year, which has led to the conviction of over 10 pirates.

Lloyds had in a recent report, while admitting that Nigeria has done well in her efforts at curbing piracy, however proposed that the premium should be retained to make room for proper assessment of the new security, especially in terms of its sustainability.

But Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency NIMASA, Dr Bashir Jamoh, who spoke in Lagos in reaction to the company’s proposal, noted that Nigeria is committed to achieving zero incidence of piracy and other maritime crimes with the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone EEZ and beyond, insisting on immediate cancellation of the risk insurance.

He argued that apart from demonstrating her commitment and investing huge sums of money on the project, which came on stream in February this year, there has been a tremendous reduction in the incidences of piracy attacks and other related maritime crimes.

Available records show that a total of 10 piracy attacks were recorded within Nigeria’s EEZ in December last, while one attack was recorded in January this year even as zero in February this year when the new security assets were deployed. Other statistics show that only one attack was recorded in March while zero was recorded in April this year, an indication that the new security project is delivering value since the deployment of the security assets in February this year.

“Our target is to achieve zero attacks on Nigeria’s waters, we want to change this stigma, which has tagged Nigeria a war zone and so the world must rethink the war risk insurance premium since the circumstances that gave rise to that development has been addressed.

“Today, Lloyds is telling us that they recognise Nigeria’s efforts but will continue to charge the war risk premium until they see more commitment and progress but which more evidence does anyone need other than the official statistics not generated in Nigeria?”, the DG questioned.

President Buhari had during the official inauguration of the assets, restated Nigeria’s commitment to ensuring safe and secure shipping in the country, which is in line with the government’s policy of diversifying the economy from current over-dependence on oil by developing the maritime and agricultural sectors.

Some of the assets inaugurated under the project, which fights piracy through land, air and sea include the Command, Control, Communication, Computer, and Intelligence Centre (C4i) for intelligence gathering and data collection for land operations; 16 armoured vehicles for coastal patrol; and about 600 specially trained troops for interdiction, known as Maritime Security Unit.                                                                                  

Others include two Special Mission Aircrafts for surveillance of the country’s EEZ, three Special Mission Helicopters for search and rescue; and four Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. The sea assets consist of two Special Mission Vessels and 17 Fast Interceptor Boats.