NIMASA Issues Advisory On Vessels From COVID-19 High Risk Countries

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has notified stakeholders about 13 vessels from five countries heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, eight of which are expected to berth in Apapa, Lagos; four in Bonny, and one in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Information on the vessels, expected to arrive the three Nigerian ports between June 23 and July 17, was received through the Command, Control, Communication, Computer and Intelligence System (C4i) Centre under the NIMASA Deep Blue Project, also known as the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure (INSWPI).

A statement issued by Head, Corporate Communications of NIMASA, Philip Kyanet quoted the Director General, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, as saying that the need to ensure stakeholders adhered strictly to the guidelines put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Nigeria informed the decision to red-flag the vessels.

“We are counting on the continued cooperation of frontline government agencies and private sector operators in this regard as we jointly wage the war against the COVID-19 pandemic,” Jamoh stated.

He pointed out that said the advisory was to further alert all agencies of government and private sector operators at the ports of expected arrival of the vessels and to demand the highest level of professionalism from all concerned officers in keeping with the Agency’s earlier advice on the handling of such vessels.

Jamoh added that operators at the ports should ensure all safety measures and precautions were fully applied in the best interest of the maritime community and the country.

NIMASA had earlier given an advisory through a marine notice on the operational procedures for the ingress and egress of vessels arriving from such countries. Officers of agencies concerned were requested to immediately report any situation or circumstance that might compromise best practices in handling the arrival and discharge of these vessels and others that might be advised in the future.

Below is the list of vessels and the details of their expected voyage to Nigerian ports.

List Of Vessels Arriving Nigeria From High Risk COVID-19 Pandemic Countries