Badhir-Jamoh DG NIMASA

 Nigeria and other countries on the shores of the Gulf of Guinea lost $793.7m in 2016 as a result of maritime insecurity, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency has said. The Director-General, NIMASA, Dr Bashir Jamoh, said this in a paper presentation titled ‘Enhancing collaboration amongst stakeholders for improved maritime security in Nigeria,’ at the Chief of Naval Staff Annual Conference in Kano State. A statement issued by  the agency on Wednesday also said there was a need for enhanced stakeholder collaboration in tackling maritime security challenges in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea. Citing a report following the 9/11 attacks in the United States indicting security agencies for failing to share real-time intelligence, Jamoh urged Nigerian stakeholders to “learn to share their toys” in a bid to close the gaps and tighten the security ring around the nation’s maritime space against piracy. “The economic cost of maritime insecurity is very pronounced for Nigeria compared to other countries. While the economic cost of piracy activity in Asia was estimated at $4.5m (as of 2016), the estimated economic cost of maritime insecurity in the GoG was about $793.7m,” he said.

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