Kayode Shopekan“ANY country that thinks that security is the exclusive preserve of the government has got it totally wrong,” Capt. Warredi Enisouh, said.
Capt. Enisouh, a Norwegian first-class mariner, is also the Director, Shipping Development at the Nigerian Maritime Safety Agency (NIMASA).
He made the statement at the Maritime Security Providers Association of Nigeria (MASPAN) annual general meeting 2021, on Thursday, held at the Eko hotel, with the theme: “Maritime Security Efforts in Nigeria: Government and Private Sector Partnerships.”
Capt. Enisouh, in his keynote, stated that no one is an island, therefore no one knows it all. He further explained that Israel as a nation enjoys good security today as a result of the collaboration it has with the private security components in its nation and that accounts for why it’s a powerful nation.
We all know that the government follows bureaucratic processes and this process can be slow. Private security systems, on the other hand, know no bureaucracy, they operate on the procedure. They are goal and result oriented.
“A heavily bureaucratic system cannot fight these criminals, it will yield no result and these elements know this too.
Enisouh who shared his experience on a day a vessel was attacked, stated that “with a combined effort of both the government and private security systems we are stronger and more alert to the fight against insecurity in the maritime sector.”
He highlighted the following as advantages of government/private security system partnership in the maritime sector.
Effective policing of the waterways.
Easy gathering of maritime intelligence,
Assistance in quick and effective decision making,
More effective ways of managing assets,
Proper protection of waterborne resources.
In his remark, the Chairman, board of trustees, Rear Admiral FD Akpan (Rtd) said the government must as a matter of necessity, engage the private sector in formulating and implementing policies.
” The private sector is the engine room of development, in fact, it is the only source and platform for development because the government has no business in business.”
Furthermore, the Chairman of the BOT, said, “the opportunities in the maritime sector are huge and enormous and we are yet to start exploring the sector to full capacity.”
He believes that when the sector is properly explored it will contribute to the upward movement of the country’s GDP.
Representing the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, DCP Kontagora, promised the gathering, of the full support of the Nigeria Police in fighting crime.
Rear Admiral Abraham Adaji was on the ground to deliver the goodwill message from the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral A.Z. Gambo.
“The Nigeria Navy has made a tremendous effort towards combating security threats in the maritime sector, the service has continued to define its procedures in terms of strategy and operational concepts to remain effective in the ever-changing maritime security threat scenario.
The Nigerian Navy recognizes that ensuring maritime security can only be achieved through collaborations, hence, inter-agency cooperation and regional collaboration is some of the pillars of the Nigerian Navy’s operational engagement. In line with this, the Nigerian Navy constantly engages various stakeholders and supports efforts towards connecting maritime security.
The newly elected President of the MASPAN, Emmanuel Maiguwa, promised to do all within his power to ensure that the association continues to train its members on international best practices of marine security and collaborate well with the security architecture of the country.
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