Nigeria has recorded a drastic drop in the cases of sea piracy since President Buhari launched the Deep Blue Project in June last year, 2021, this is according to the Director General of the United Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Dr. Bashir Jamoh.
Dr Jamoh said 34 incidents of piracy were recorded last year with no reported cases of attack on vessels.
The NIMASA Director General an update on the activities of the agency and how it has effectively enhanced the safety of the
Gulf of Guinea.
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He spoke to journalists at the 53rd session of the State House Press briefing organised by the presidential Communications team.
According to him, from first quarter to date, the agency has not recorded one single accident in the country’s territorial waters in terms of piracy attack from last quarter of 2021 to date.
This, according to Jamoh has laid to the cancellation of the stigma placed on Nigeria as the most dangerous water and
removed from the piracy list in March 2022. The first of its kind in history.
Gbemi Saraki, Minister of State for Transportation, stated that the Agency’s efforts with the Ministry’s backing were beginning to yield results and urged the continuation of the fight against piracy in the nation’s waterways.
Gbemi Saraki also noted that for over 28 years, Nigeria was in the media for the wrong reasons with regards to pirate attacks on the Gulf of Guinea.
“In the last five months we have recorded zero attack and I think that says it all about my assessment of NIMASA. Rather than words, action has shown that we are very proud that we are getting it and I think the most important thing is that we do not rest on our oars and see how best we can sustain this record”.
