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'1, I am delighted lo be here with you this morning to
panicipale
inthis unique
seminarwhich
has bcen
packaged
bythe Nigeftan
Shipperc'
Councit.
Ine
high quality of this augustaudience
is evidence
not
onty ofihe impo.tance
of the subject matter, bur
also of the aptness
ofthe organizers,
timing.
2,I wish to express
mywarm
wetcome
to our many
overseas
ftiends
who wi share
expe.iences
witl
us on vanous
aspects
of maritime
securit, a
subject
that witt .emain
on the front burnef of
inlernationar
dtscoursefora
tong timero come. My
specjal
thanks
go to

---

llrr J J Shiundu
of the International
ilaritime
organizaiion
(lMO),
and protessor
Detler
Niolsen
or
the World Maritime
University,
at llalmo in Sweden.
3, One ofthe major dividends
of our present
domocracy
isthaithe hug6 wo.ldwlde
.eputation
of
our President,
ChiefOlusegun
Obasafllo
has
.aPidly holped
rei.legEte Nigeria
as a prime
member
of ihe comitv
of nalions. Nowhere
is this
new inlernational
crediblllty
more
apparenlthan
in
ihe maritime
s6ctor,
because
Nigeria
is once again
a rospected
voicewithinlhe lNlO
as wellas i. the
World
Customs
Organization,
4. Afierthe Seotember
11.2001terrorist
atlack
on the
Unit€d Slalos
ofAmerica
exposed
the vulnerability
of international
transport
modes,
the llllloihrough
its Maritime
Safety
Committoo,
began
a compleie

---

reviow
of its framework
on marilime
security.
Nigeria
participaled
actively
in thts efforithrouqh
submissions
at {h6 government,
inler-gov6.nmenEi
and non-governmetrtat
tevets;
cutminating
in the
amendment
ofihe Int€rnationat
convention
fo,
Safety
of Life at Sea (SOLAS)19?4.
This creareo
the hternational
Shipand
Port Facitity
Securily
{lSPs)
Code
as parr of rhe convention
and Nigoria
is deeplycommitted
to bsing
compliantto
itt
provisions
byJulyl,2004,
which is the deadtinefor
Contracting
covernments.
5. This gove.nm€nl's deep
commitment
was whywe
setup the special
tl/linisterial
Committoe
on the
lmplementation
of the ISPS
Code,
whose
report
was
submitted
In August
2003,
That Committee,s
work
is a primary
fesource
fo. u6j as we preparo
torlhe
Julytake.offdate
unde.
ths .uspices
of the

---

Prosidential
Committee
for the lmPlementation
of
6.
As that dale approaches,
ws are acltelv aware
thal
many
chatleng€s lieahead,
and manyquestbns
remain
unanswered.
For instance,
there
are huge
challenges
rogarding
intEstructure,
technical
and
technolosical
€xPenise, Practicat
application
of the
statutes,
and the sheer
resolve
of the g€neral public
to seo lhis through There
witl be questions
concorningfundingforihenews€curitvinitiaiives
how they wlll afect cargo
a.d tmde flows as wellas
the implications
for crews
and crewing.
7. However,
ourhan.ls
are already
on {he plougn'
so
we cannot
look back The prosence
here
today of
the crdme
of the Nigefian
marilime
sector
vindicares
my personal
beliof
lhat a paradigm
'hift

---

has taken place and we must now press ahea.l,
tap
intothis mood ofoptimism,
and ensureihatwe
succeed. H€re I shaltborfow
from thetripod of
Priority,
Proportionality
aod Pannership,
which
torm our critical success tuctors.
8. Terorisl throat
to th6 maritimesector
is global
and
cannoi be wished awayi its prevention is therefore
a priority. This was proven
yetagain
in late 2002
by
ths bombing
ofVLCC
Limburg
off the coast
of
Yemen,
Ports
and ships
are targets,
and conlainers
can also be used
as weapons
or destruction.
Given
the worlij's high dependence
on sea bornet.ade,
there is s6rious
wlnerability
of the global
suPPly
chain, So real is this threal
that lhe nsxt few
months
befo.e
July 2004,
stillpresent
a'window'or
vulnembility
thal we must allwork towards
mitigating.

---

9.
On proportionatity,
itis imperative
thar enhance.l
securiy measu.es
a.e both pragmaticand
appropriate
to probabte
o. pe.cejved
lhrears.
Proper
ihreat assessmed
musl be conducted
to
oevise
appropriate
coutrtermeasures.
The maritime
industry
emphasizes
costfeduction
and speed,
so
port security
musr
be compatibte
with rhis
emphasis.
At rhis point,
twish to promiselhatour
government
wil continuousty
fine-tlne
the
maritilrle
secu.ity system in lhe tight of feed back
f.om expertslik€ you.
10. The tssuo ofpadnership
can be viewed
from thfee
p€rspedives -the govemmental,
bjtaiefat,
and
Industrytevets.
Atthe govommentat
tevel,
the
Njgerian
gove.nment
enjoys
an excelent
rerationsnrp
with the l,to buitton muiuartrusr,
and a shared
inleresr.
We recognize
the tlto,s ,eadership
rote In

---

rne comptox
and muttj,faceled
sphere
ofmaritjme
security.
Ootheotherhand,
ihe IMO
fespects
ou.
.esolve
to remain
stronq
in fighting
anybreach
of
securily
within ouf areas
ofjuds.tiction.
Nigerta
is
also fultycoope€tive wilh the tiUO ad th6
hternalional
Labouf
organisation
(rLo) on ssaiarers,
identity
documontation,
and with the Wortd Custonrs
organization
on the security
orcontainers.
11- Nigeria
is a major hub offesionatand
b arerat
working
ctosetywith
ournetghboriB
and orhers
rn
the wider region
lo create
webs orsocurity
linkages,
info.matjon
qchange ctannets,
coopamtjor
in tmintng
and sharing
of best
p.actices.
Thi6 way, w€ wi continueto
ensure
mutuat
enhancement
of maritime
secuity efforts,

---

12. Also cruciat
to us is the government.industry
parrnership,
The 'SpS Code is comprehensive
and
invotves
majorchangas
in how carriec operale
today, Sustaine.t
cooperation
is needed
between
governme and a operarors
in order to imptemenr
offective
measu.es
to mitigate
soppty
chain
vuhe.abitities
to securily
threals,
and to p.event
urnecessary
disruptions
ro lhe flow ofcommerce.
The Nigeaian
sovernmonr
is rating a cleartead
to
identii/ the new securily
requirements,
in reiurn,
industry
must cooperate
with governmeni
to
determine
lh6 best and most efrjcient
way to meet
rnese
requirements,
13. F.om mylhoughts
so far, it is obviousthatthe
stakeholders
in m!.ttime
security
inctude
thore
invotved
with, or using ships and port bcitities
inctuding
ships,
pe.sonnet,
pon perconnet,
carso

---

rnie.ests,
ship and po|l nanagement
and atl
government
offi
cials with security respons
jbitiiies.
h othorwo'ds, just about everyorc who breathes
and earns a tivingffomth6 industryl
14. Nigerlan
is determined
notontytolu y imptement
ihe mandaioryaspects
of the lSpS Code by Jury j.
2004,
but atso
to complywiththo
modatities
in the
rccommendatory
part,8,which
wlr ensure
thar we
neverfattshorr
on rhe standards
of ro,s
Mandalory
Audit Scheme
o. any orh6r suides for
assessing
comptiance.
However,
this roto of
governmed
js basicaly institutional,
15. We axpect
this forum
to hightightthose
unwrinen
issu€s oi altjtudinat
re{raentatiotr
lhal wil improve
our peopte's
efficiency,
offectivenes,
and
funclionatity.
This isan effod in direct and

---

sustained
confidence
buildinq
thfough
collaboration
and coopsfation
be{w6en
the varlous
forces and inte.esls
thatwill mako us succeod-
16. I musl reitorate
that I am hapPy
to not6 that
participants
in this seminar
include
repressntativ6s
f rom ht6mational
organlzations,
maritime
administrations,
ship owne6, the academia,
law
and insuf
ance,
securily
training
consultants,
maritime
technology
compani€s,
and shippoG
in
diversefields,
Thls undeccores
tho fact thal
maritime
seourity
is averyjmPortant
affair
that
concerns
allsegmenG
oftrading,
shipping
an.l
17. lam confideni
lhal lhe discussions
today
and
tomorow will provo
to be imrnensoly
useful. l
assureyou
au that lvlr
President
and ind€ed

---

overyone
in this gowmmont,
tooks
forward
to
roceMnq
yourreportwhich
shoutd
incorpocte
n6w
thoughts
and ideas
that wi fLrrthor
guide us.
18. I shatt
conctude
byr.mindjng
a ofu6that
imptementing
the tsps code is notan end in itsef,
Dur a means to bo a more s€curo wond for
evsryone. [s importance therofore cannol be
ov€remphasized.
19. Thank
you and maycod btess you a .

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