By our Correspondent
Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) spent about $370 million in 2015 to combat piracy and provide security services.
According to a report by Oceans Beyond Piracy (OBP), the amount include the costs of public-private partnership which operates security escorts at $7.29 million patrol vessels at $136.8 million and secure zones at $8.2 million.
Others are $152.29 million incurred by private security firms on security escorts ($7.29milllion), patrol vessels ($136.8million) and guarding the secure zones ($8.2million).
The OBP, an independent non-profit organisation, said, “While most regional navies serve a dual naval and coastguard functions, NIMASA is tasked with working alongside the Nigerian Navy to combat piracy.
It said: “In fact, NIMASA’s 2015 budget of $726 million was nearly double the Navy’s $379 million. It is estimated that about 30 per cent of those funds are dedicated to maritime safety and security, implying around $218 million spent on counter-piracy efforts.”
The OBP report added that about 32 vessels were reportedly active in providing escorts, conducting patrols and protecting secure areas. The operational cost for these privately-run vessels was estimated at $136.8millon for 2015.
It said several small fleets of escort vessels run by private companies bolstered the Navy and NIMASA’s capacity. These escort vessels were said to provide security to ships in transit to and from Nigeria, between secure zones and ports, and to riverine ports such as Warri, Onne and Port Harcourt.
The vessels were said to provide a near-constant security presence, particularly around oil production infrastructure.
In addition, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria have established secure zones near major ports.
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