The Management of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has notified stakeholders about 13 vessels from five countries heavily affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Eight of the vessels are expected to berth in Apapa, Lagos; four in Bonny, Rivers State; and one in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
According to a statement signed on Saturday by NIMASA Spokesman, Philip Kyanet, information about the vessels, expected to arrive the three Nigerian ports between June 23 and July 17, was received through the Command, Control, Communication, Computer, and Intelligence System (C4i) Centre under the NIMASA Deep Blue Project, also called the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure.
The affected vessels and details of their expected voyage to Nigerian are: Ebony Ray which last called at the United States of America (USA), and expected at Apapa ports on the 23 of June, 2020; Nord Supreme which last called in the United Kingdom, is expected at Apapa ports on the 25th of June, 2020; Gaslog Warsaw which last called in Spain, is expected at Bonny on the 26th of June, 2020; Desert Peace which last called in Houston, USA, is expected at Apapa ports on the 26th of June, 2020; Shanghai Eagle which last called in Garrucha, Spain is expected at Apapa ports on the 25th of June, 2020; Katrina Theresa which last called in Algeciras Bay, Spain is expected at Apapa ports on the 25th of June, 2020; Harmonic which last called in Escomberas, Spain is expected in Bonny on the 27th of June, 2020; Desert Hope which last called at Santos, Brazil is expected at Apapa ports on the 1st of July, 2020; Stena Clear Sky which last called in Dahej, India is expected in Bonny on the 4th of July, 2020; Musky which last called in the United States is expected in Port Harcourt ports on the 7th of July, 2020; Vectis Osprey which last called in the United States is expected in Apapa ports on the 11th of July, 2020; Grande Island which last called in the United States is expected in Apapa ports on the 11th of July, 2020; and LNG Bonny II which last called in India is expected in Bonny on the 17th of July, 2020.
Director-General of NIMASA, Dr Bashir Jamoh, said the need to ensure stakeholders adhered strictly to the guidelines put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Nigeria informed the decision to red-flag the vessels.
“We are counting on the continued cooperation of frontline government agencies and private sector operators in this regard as we jointly wage the war against the COVID-19 pandemic,” Jamoh stated.
The Director-General said the advisory was to further alert all agencies of government and private sector operators at the ports of the expected arrival of the vessels and to demand the highest level of professionalism from all concerned officers in keeping with the Agency’s earlier advice on the handling of such vessels. He added that operators at the ports should ensure all safety measures and precautions in the best interest of the maritime community and the country were fully applied
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