NIMASA, NCC partner on submarine cable regulation

In order to provide operational guidelines for Submarine Cable and Pipeline Operators in Nigeria, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) have decided to collaborate closely in the development of a regulatory framework.

A statement containing this was released on Sunday in Lagos and was signed by Mr. Osagie Edward, Assistant Director, Public Relations, NIMASA.

In a pre-audit meeting on submarine cable regulation, the representatives of the two organizations reportedly came to an agreement, according to the statement.

It quoted Dr. Bashir Jamoh, Director-General of NIMASA, who presided over the meeting, as saying that the organization was dedicated to making doing business easy while putting into practice international conventions that Nigeria had ratified and domesticated.

The time had come to stop the unauthorized laying of underwater cables, which could endanger shipping, as Nigeria was now a destination for international communication players, according to Jamoh.

It is important to note that in Nigerian waters, marine cable laying has been going on for more than 20 years.

“With all these underwater cables being laid, our main goal is to ensure the safety of shipping navigation in Nigerian waters.

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea’s provisions are being followed as NIMASA develops the rules to regulate submarine cable operators (UNCLOS).

“We consult before implementing laws. The responsibilities of another Agency begin where one Agency’s responsibilities end, according to Jamoh.

He said that working together was essential to making it simple to conduct business in the nation’s best interests.

Jamoh promised that NIMASA would collaborate closely with the NCC to make this happen.

The statement also included a quote from Prof. Umar Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, who said that the stakeholders’ dialogue strategy adopted by NIMASA in developing the guidelines would guarantee a win-win situation.

Jamoh immediately agreed to his request that NIMASA include the Ministry of Justice in the creation of the guidelines.

Efosa Idehen, the Director of Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement, acted as the representative for Danbatta.

The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms, Mr. Dasuki Arabi, was quoted in the statement commending NIMASA and NCC for implementing successful inter-agency collaboration to avoid a potential challenge for the nation in the future.

You may remember that NIMASA had informed Nigerian submarine and cable operators of a regulatory guideline that would soon be put into effect for submarine cables and pipelines in Nigeria, in accordance with UNCLOS.

Representatives of Nigeria’s submarine cable operators and officials from the Federal Ministry of the Environment also attended the meeting.