MARITIME SECURITY: US COAST GUARD STORMS LAGOS PORTS

Less than on one week after sources disclosed that the United States of America (USA) had threatened to ‘closely watch’ Nigeria over her recent decision to concession her maritime domain to a private security outfit, officials of the United States Coast Guard  have commenced inspection of the nation’s port facilities.
Both the reaction of America to maritime domain concession and the inspection by the country’s Coast Guard were reported exclusively by Shipping Position Daily last Friday.

Less than on one week after sources disclosed that the United States of America (USA) had threatened to ‘closely watch’ Nigeria over her recent decision to concession her maritime domain to a private security outfit, officials of the United States Coast Guard  have commenced inspection of the nation’s port facilities.
Both the reaction of America to maritime domain concession and the inspection by the country’s Coast Guard were reported exclusively by Shipping Position Daily last Friday.
The US Coast Guard officials are in Nigeria as part of the bilateral agreements between the two nations on the implementation of the International Ship and Port Security (ISPS) Code.
The team which was reportedly at Apapa port on Tuesday was also at the Tin Can Island port yesterday. They went round the various terminals inspecting facilities, taking note of vehicular and human traffic.
The US team had earlier put in an unfavourable report about the state of security in the nation’s ports. In the report which the team put together after visiting ports in Nigeria, it expressed shock that none of the ports that were visited could boast of adequate security arrangement.
In the report which was also made available to our correspondent, the US Coast Guard had said that “Nigeria experience a high incidence of armed robbery, stowaways and other maritime crimes of opportunities”.
According to the team, “water port security measures were not commensurate with existing threat in many port facilities”. “Reports from the maritime community indicate the vast majority of the port related incidents stem from facilities and unprotected waterside.”
The current visit which is being replicated in ports outside Lagos is to ascertain the extent to which the observed lapses have been addressed by the terminal operators.
Our correspondent was told that the US team was however pleased with what it saw at some of the terminals, the team reportedly noted that security had improved since it last visited.