The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) have mutually agreed to collaborate closely in the creation of a regulatory framework that will provide operational guidelines for Submarine Cable and Pipeline Operators in Nigeria. This collaboration will take place in the development of a regulatory framework that will provide operational guidelines for Submarine Cable and Pipeline Operators in Nigeria.
This information was released by NIMASA on Sunday in Lagos in the form of a statement that was signed by Mr. Osagie Edward, Assistant Director of Public Relations at NIMASA.
According to the statement, the agreement was reached by the representatives of the two organizations during a pre-audit meeting regarding the regulation of submarine cables.
It reported that the Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, who presided over the meeting, stated that the agency was committed to making it easier for businesses to operate while simultaneously implementing international conventions that Nigeria had ratified and domesticated.
Jamoh made the observation that because Nigeria is now a destination for global communication players, the time had come to prevent the laying of unregulated underwater cables, which could become a hazard to shipping.
It is important to note that the laying of marine cables has been going on for more than twenty years in waters belonging to Nigeria.
“With all of these underwater cables being laid, the most important thing for us right now is making sure that ships can navigate safely through Nigerian waters.
“In actuality, NIMASA is in the process of formulating the guidelines that will be used to regulate the activities of submarine cable operators in accordance with the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea” (UNCLOS).
“We do not just implement laws; we consult. Jamoh stated that the responsibilities of one agency end exactly where those of another agency begin. “Where one agency’s responsibility ends, another agency’s responsibility begins.”
He made the observation that cooperation was a critical factor in the ease of conducting business, which was in the nation’s best interest.
Jamoh stated that in order to accomplish this goal, NIMASA would collaborate extensively with the NCC.
The statement also cited Professor Umar Danbatta, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, as saying that the stakeholders’ dialogue strategy adopted by NIMASA in developing the guidelines would ensure a win-win situation. Danbatta was quoted as saying this in the statement.
He commanded NIMASA to involve the Ministry of Justice in the process of formulating the guidelines, and Jamoh complied immediately with this demand.
Efosa Idehen, Director of Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement, acted as Danbatta’s representative during this meeting.
According to the statement, the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms, Mr. Dasuki Arabi, commended NIMASA and NCC for adopting effective inter-agency collaboration in order to avert a possible threat to the nation in the future.
It should be recalled that the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) had informed Nigerian submarine and cable operators of a soon-to-be-implemented regulatory guideline for pipelines and submarine cables in Nigeria, in accordance with the provisions of UNCLOS.
Additionally present at the meeting were officials from Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Environment and representatives from Nigerian operators of submarine cable systems.
