While delivering an interim assessment report to NIMASA Management, Larson noted that Nigeria’s compliance with the ISPS Code ranks amongst the best globally.

He added that his team would report their findings to the leadership of the US Coast Guard accordingly and expressed confidence that NIMASA had the capacity to maintain the high standards attained to date.

According to Mr. Larson, “We had the pleasure of visiting Matrix and Julius Berger in Warri, Delta State before proceeding to the Lekki Deep Seaport and Dangote Port in Lagos, with the overall assessment being very positive. 

“We noted that there is a clear and deep understanding on the implementation of the ISPS Code in Nigeria with the level of compliance observed to be at par with some of the best maritime nations globally.

“We would report our findings back to US Coast Guard headquarters accordingly.” 

 Dr Mobereola spoke about the Agency’s commitment to sustaining the improved compliance levels at the nation’s ports while noting the effect this has on how Nigeria is perceived internationally.

He added that the Agency would continue to support efforts under the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, to improve standards in the Nigerian maritime industry.

“I must express my happiness at the positive feedback we have received from the USCG delegation as it serves as reward for the Federal Government’s commitment to the development of the sector, and the work of the Agency, under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, to ensure international standards are adhered to in the area of port security”, he noted.

The USCG has consistently partnered with NIMASA to conduct on-the-spot assessments of the compliance level of Nigerian ports with the ISPS Code.

These evaluations, which commenced last year as part of a three-year plan, are geared towards providing actionable insights and data-based decisions to lift the Condition of Entry (CoE) placed on vessels departing Nigeria for the United States of America.  

Most of the terminals concessioned to private operators in 2006 were cleared by the U.S Coast Guard and exempted from the Condition of Entry imposed in 2014.

They include APM Terminals Apapa, Apapa Bulk Terminal Limited, Greenview Development Nigeria Limited, Tin Can Island Container Terminal (TICT), ENL Consortium, Port and Cargo Handling Services, PTML, and West Africa Container Terminal (WACT) among others.

However, private oil jetties and terminals are mostly found culpable in the security breach and consequently slammed with Conditions of Entry.

The International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS Code) is a comprehensive set of measures to enhance the security of ships and port facilities.

 It was developed in response to the perceived threats to ships and port facilities in the wake of the 9/11 attacks in the United States.

 The ISPS Code is implemented through chapter XI-2 Special measures to enhance maritime security in the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), 1974.

The Code has two parts, one mandatory and one recommendatory.

In essence, the Code takes the approach that ensuring the security of ships and port facilities is a risk management activity and that, to determine what security measures are appropriate, an assessment of the risks must be made in each particular case.

 The purpose of the Code is to provide a standardised, consistent framework for evaluating risk, enabling Governments to offset changes in threat with changes in vulnerability for ships and port facilities through determination of appropriate security levels and corresponding security measures.