The Japanese government has donated the sum of $2.4 million (about N994.8m) to the Nigerian Maritime Safety and Administration Agency (NIMASA) as support for the Deep Blue Project.
The donation has been confirmed by the Director-General of the agency, Dr Bashir Yusuf Jamoh, TrackNews reports.
Addressing the press on Tuesday in Zaria, Kaduna State, Jamoh said that the Deep Blue Project, otherwise known as the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure, was initiated by the Federal Ministry of Transportation and Ministry of Defence while being implemented by NIMASA.
He also confirmed the receipt of a warship which came as a donation from the Korean government.
“Our Deep Blue Project, the SPOMO Act enacted by the National Assembly, the convictions of criminals under the SPOMO Act, the commitment of the Nigerian Navy and other military arms of the Nigerian Armed Forces, not forgetting the support from the international community, all led to the reduction of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea,” Jamoh said.
Meanwhile, Jamoh has said earlier while playing host to a delegation from the Nigeria Maritime University (NMU) to NIMASA in Lagos that the agency’s floating dock would soon be deployed.
According to him, experts from the manufacturers of the floating dock have been in Nigeria for over a month working on the nitty-gritty of deploying the dockyard.
The DG said: “When I gave them a deadline recently, I was given professional counsel not to rush the deployment. If we have waited this long, we might as well wait a while longer and ensure we don’t regret a deployment in a hurry.”
He also informed the NMU management that the facility will be available for students from the university for practical experience when it becomes functional.
