NIMASA Threatens Sanctions Against Port Security Officers Over Incident Reporting

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has warned Port Facility Security Officers (PFSOs) against failing to report maritime security incidents through approved channels, threatening sanctions for violations.

The warning follows concerns that some incident reports from port facilities were being sent to individual NIMASA officials instead of the agency’s designated International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code Unit.

In a notice signed by Mudi Isa, Head of the ISPS Code Unit, the agency directed all Port Facility Security Officers to submit incident reports through the unit’s officially designated email address.

The notice, titled “Non-Receipt of Incident Reports/Submission to Approved ISPS Unit”, said the failure to receive reports through the appropriate channels posed a significant security risk.

“It has come to our attention that the Unit is currently not receiving your incident report emails, which poses a significant risk,” the notice stated.

NIMASA warned that submitting reports through unauthorised channels could constitute a breach of ISPS compliance.

“Failure to report security incidents to the correct channels constitutes a breach of ISPS compliance. Do not copy or send reports to individual staff emails unless explicitly authorized. If you do not receive an acknowledgment from the ISPS Unit within 24hrs of submission, contact the Unit immediately via phone,” it added.

The agency also advised port operators and security officers who were uncertain about the approved reporting directory to contact the ISPS Unit for confirmation before submitting reports.

NIMASA said the directive was intended to ensure that security incidents and unusual activities were promptly documented and handled through a coordinated response system.

“To safeguard port integrity and vessel safety, all maritime operators, terminal users, and personnel must utilise authorised reporting protocols immediately upon detecting any security incident or anomaly,” the agency stated.