Oritsegbubemi Omatseyin
Lagos — The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, and the Offshore Pollution Control, XPO, Marine Services Limited, have called on operating oil companies and shipping firms in the country to desist from indiscriminate discharge of wastes into the rivers and oceans. The Agency said that discharging of wastes into rivers would no longer be tolerated.
This was as NIMASA handed over a 10-year contract of waste management on the Eastern waterways to its concessionaire, XPO Marine, in an agreement that for every revenue XPO Marine makes in the collection of waste, the company would keep 60 percent while 20 percent would go to the Federal Government and 20 percent to NIMASA.
Speaking at the event to mark the commencement of the project in Port Harcourt, Managing Director, XPO, Wellington Agharese, noted that Nigeria is a signatory to the MARPOL convention, adding that waste management on the nation’s waterways has been a challenge.
Agharese noted that the commencement of the contract would restore sanity on the nation’s waterways, warning firms to ensure strict compliance to proper management of wastes from their facilities.
He said: “But the Federal Government is taking a bold step to collect all the waste that is generated from ships and other platforms operated by IOCs and NOCs so that these wastes can be treated in an acceptable manner and disposed of according to MARPOL convention (to be disposed ashore). So, we take the waste, document, treat it, dispose of it, and ultimately issue a disposal certificate for every waste that is disposed of.
“This is a clarion call to the shipping, maritime, IOCs, and NOCs community that they no longer throw waste away on the waters or ashore. Now the waste has to be treated according to the MARPOL convention by meeting the offshore reception facility requirement that XPO will do in collaboration with NIMASA to implement.
“Discharge of waste into the aquatic environment is no longer acceptable. It has never been acceptable but now it is going to be enforced. Whether the IOCs, NOCs, and shipping community, nobody is allowed to discharge waste in the sea.”
The Deputy Director/Head of Public Private Partnership Unit, NIMASA, Kabiru Diso, said the agreement and the contract would bring to an end the menace of dumping of wastes on the aquatic environment.
He said: “This partnership with XPO Marine will help us to address the major challenges in our waters. It will ensure that our waters are no longer a dumping ground for all kinds of wastes generated from the ships and other installations on Nigeria’s waters. This innovation will ensure the timely collection of all the wastes generated from ships, barges, and other platforms operating on our waters in total compliance with the MARPOL extant regulations and conventions.
“The concessionaire is to ensure that ships and platforms comply with MARPOL 73/78 as amended and in line with global best practice. The positive impact of what we are starting today is going to be tremendous – not only for the marine environment but will support the economic growth of the country.”
On his part, the Zonal Coordinator, Eastern Zone, NIMASA, Yusuf Barde, said: “We have mechanisms of ensuring that we supervise, that activities of XPO Marine are in line with the mandate given to them. So, the concessionaire will be monitored regularly to ensure they meet their side of the bargain.”
