NIMASA To Check Indiscriminate Dumping Of Wastes In Nigerian Waters

Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Mr Patrick Akpobolokemi, has assured that the agency would check indiscriminate dumping of wastes in Nigerian waters.
Akpobolokemi said this on Tuesday at the opening of a three -day workshop organised by International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and NIMASA for senior managers and government officials in Lagos.
The director-general said that NIMASA was making efforts to ensure it fulfilled its mandate as the body charged with the overall protection of the marine environment.

Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Mr Patrick Akpobolokemi, has assured that the agency would check indiscriminate dumping of wastes in Nigerian waters.
Akpobolokemi said this on Tuesday at the opening of a three -day workshop organised by International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and NIMASA for senior managers and government officials in Lagos.
The director-general said that NIMASA was making efforts to ensure it fulfilled its mandate as the body charged with the overall protection of the marine environment.
“The increasing dumping of wastes into the marine environment and the devastating effects have been a global concern and Nigeria is not excluded.
“After the rude shock of dumping of toxic wastes of Italian origin at Koko in Delta State, Nigeria became an advocate to other African nations on the need to accede to and implement conventions on protection of the environment,’’ he said.
In his keynote address, the Minister of Transport, Sen. Idris Umar, said that the London Convention was an international instrument for the regulation of pollution by all sources dumping waste at sea.
The minister, who was represented by Dr Babayaro Ado, a Director in the Ministry of Transport, said the objective of the training was to acquaint stakeholders with the protocol.
According to Umar, it is also to enlighten participants on implementation and compliance approach as stipulated in the Merchant Shipping Regulations 2012.
He commended the IMO for recognising Nigeria's efforts and contributions to the global implementation of the London Convention.
“This is evident in the unanimous election of Capt. Ibrahim Olugbade, Nigeria's representative to IMO as the First Vice Chairman of the Joint Contracting Parties to London Convention,’’ the minister said.
In his opening remarks, Capt. Bala Agaba, the Executive Director Maritime Safety and Shipping Development in NIMASA, said the workshop was aimed at familiarising stakeholders with the effects of sea dumping.
“At the completion of the workshop, relevant stakeholders and maritime operators will be able to avert indiscriminate dumping of waste in Nigeria’s territorial waters with the goal of achieving clean ocean,’’ Agaba said.
He said that the London Convention in 1972 was one of the first global conventions protecting the marine environment from human activities, adding that it had been in force since 1975.
“The convention contributes to the international control and prevention of marine pollution by prohibiting the dumping of certain hazardous materials into the sea,’’ he said.
The theme of the workshop is “ London Protocol (1996) on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Waste and Other Matters’’.