NPA, Navy to build capacity on Hydrographic Survey

Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority NPA, Mohammed Bello Koko has said that the authority under his watch is willing to collaborate with the Nigerian Navy to localise, modernise training and capacity building in hydrographic survey for the benefit of the nation’s maritime economy. This is given the remarkable growth in the size and number of merchant ships that call at the nation’s various seaports,

Speaking when he played host to the new Flag Officer Commanding FOC, Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Yakubu Wambia, along with senior officers of the Command on a courtesy visit to the authority’s corporate headquarters, Lagos, the MD noted that Nigeria needs to develop capacity on hydrographic survey.

While acknowledging the long and cordial relationship between the two organisations spanning over a century, Koko assured the new FOC of the NPA’s unflinching co-operation in the task of protecting the nations’ waterways against inland and coastal threats to safe navigation, assuring that the NPA would continue to render the required assistance whenever the need arises.

The MD also expressed his management’s appreciation for the role played by the Command with respect to the “360 Degrees Security Exercise” that was recently carried out to remove all physical contraptions and unscrupulous human elements identified as security threat around the seaports in Lagos. He informed the FOC that a repeat of the exercise is set to take place in the nearest future, adding that NPA would continue to work jointly with the command in keeping the port access corridors safe from all types of threats.

Bello Koko applauded the Nigerian Navy on the delivery and commissioning of “NNS LANA”, a modern purpose-built hydrographic research vessel, that would enable the Navy perform missions such as oceanographic survey, hydrographic survey, search and rescue (SAR), fishery survey and patrol on the Exclusive Economic Zone EEZ of Nigeria. He also commended the Navy for quality manpower development in hydrographic survey for the country.

While lamenting the dearth of qualified hydrographers in the NPA, he expressed optimism that partnering the Nigerian Navy Hydrographic School would guarantee high level manpower at a lower cost for the authority as against sending members of staff abroad for such training.

Responding to the request for tug boats to support the Navy in some of their operations, Koko explained that available options would be considered to assist the Navy, although the NPA currently faces some constraints arising from its contractual relationship with a third party service provider.

On the issue of wrecks preventing access to the Defence Jetty along the Lagos Marina, Koko assured the FOC that the authority would liaise with the Nigerian Maritime Administration NIMASA for support to get the wrecks removed, just as the NPA would continue to facilitate berthing spaces for vessels arrested by the order of the court.

Earlier in his remarks, the new FOC described the courtesy visit to the NPA as customary and necessary to advance the strong bonds of partnership between the two institutions. He expressed on behalf of the Chief of Naval Staff, deep appreciation to the NPA, for the tremendous support provided the NN over the years in its quest to effectively safeguard the country’s territorial waters.

Rear Admiral Wambia informed his host that the quality support enjoyed by the NN from organizations like the NPA in the promotion of safety and security within the Nigerian waters led to the International Maritime Bureau IMB recent declaration of Nigeria as a piracy free country, following no record of incidents at the nation’s port anchorage.

He equally thanked the authority for making available a piece of land at Takwa Bay for the command’s operations, adding that the support provided by the NPA under the Bello-Koko led-management is worthy of emulation.