Vincent Toritseju
Lagos — The newly elected president of the Maritime Security Providers of Nigeria, MASPAN, Mr. Emmanuel Maiguwa, has said that the group will engage the government and stakeholders in the maritime industry to ensure a secured maritime environment.
Speaking to SweetcrudeReports immediately after the election held in Lagos, Maiguwa said the responsibility of securing the nation’s maritime should not be left to the government alone.
Maiguwa also said that the government needs the private sector in the security sector in tackling the issue of crime and sea robbery on the nation’s territorial and coastal waters.
He explained that MASPAN will engage government and bring about discussions that will culminate in policy formulation that will drive maritime security and make Nigeria’s marine domain safer and better secured.
He stated: “The private maritime security providers have mastered the art of efficient management of maritime security assets and provide solution at a cost effective manner. A partnership with the private sector by the government will be effective in securing Nigeria’s marine domain and the entire Gulf of Guinea, GoG.
“So we intend to promote this partnership. The Nigerian Navy has its limits likewise the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, and this is based on their enabling Act.
“We will use the private sector to leverage on the issue of maritime security with the relevant government institutions as it is done all the over the world.
‘‘The idea is to provide maritime security at a lower rate with a view to making shipping cheaper.
“Shipping will continue to retain its cost advantage, so it is not just spending the money but ensure that Nigeria remains competitive. We are losing to smaller countries like Ghana, Benin and the rest of them. So it is not about providing the solution but at what cost. The focus for MASPAN is to drive marine security in that direction.’’
He said that the new executives would undergo an internal training to enable them fully understand the goals and objectives of the body, adding that this strategy would also enable the new leadership develop a befitting roadmap for the administration.
Chairman of the MASPAN Board of Trustees, Rear Admiral Francis Akpan (Rtd), congratulated the newly elected executives, admonishing them to not only keep the high level professionalism of the body, but build upon it.
Akpan opined that with the crop of leaders as MASPAN executives which boasts over 80 percent Managing Directors, they are veterans that could bring their wealth of experience on maritime security and administrative acumen to take the association to greater heights.
Follow us on twitter
