NIMASA extends certificate validity for seafarers

To guarantee seafarers’ job security at this critical period, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has extended the validity of statutory and trading certificates for all indigenous registered vessels.

The documents, according to a statement by the agency’s Head, Corporate Communications, Philip Kyane, include the Standard of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW).

NIMASA Director-General, Bashir Jamoh, said the extension would apply to all Nigerian-flagged vessels and seafarers as well as practitioners with certificate of competency captaining foreign flagships.

He added that the leeway would enable owners and masters of ships to continue performing their duties amid the nationwide lockdown.