Nigeria: Nimasa Threatens Sanctions Over Missing Marine Incident Reports

What the report says

Nigeria’s maritime regulator, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), has warned Port Facility Security Officers that they could face sanctions if they fail to report marine security incidents through the agency’s approved channels. The notice, reported by Vanguard and distributed by AllAfrica, said some incident reports from port facilities were being sent directly to individual NIMASA staff members rather than to the designated International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Unit.

According to the report, NIMASA said this practice creates a security risk and could amount to a breach of ISPS compliance rules. The agency instructed port security personnel to submit reports only through the approved ISPS Unit email address and not to copy individual staff members unless specifically authorized. It also asked officers to confirm receipt of each report and to follow up if no acknowledgment is received within 24 hours.

The warning matters because the ISPS framework is a key part of international port security standards, designed to ensure incidents are tracked and handled through a coordinated process. In general, such reporting systems help maritime authorities respond faster to threats, anomalies or other safety concerns at ports. NIMASA said its directive is intended to improve prompt reporting and support a more organized security response.