The United States Government has imposed Conditions of Entry (COE) on vessels originating or coming from Nigeria, as it requires that these vessels meet certain security measures prior to entering U.S. ports.
In a statement issued by the United States Consulate General, Public Affairs Section in Lagos yesterday, 22 port facilities in Nigeria are however, exempted from the COE, as they have been found to have adequate security measures in place.
The U.S. Coast Guard has worked with Nigeria to identify and address port security deficiencies observed during assessments of numerous facilities during the past six years.
Based on these assessments, it has concluded that Nigerian ports have not fully implemented the provisions if the International Ship and Port Security (ISPS) Code, the primary international security standard, and do not have effective anti-terrorism measures in place.
Twenty-two (22) Nigerian port facilities have demonstrated effective anti-terrorism measures and will not be subject to additional security precautions.
The COE are not trade sanctions and do not ban Nigerian ships from entering U.S. ports.
It does require ships however, to take certain additional security-related measures while at non-exempt Nigerian port facilities, which will be verified by U.S. Coast Guard port security personnel prior to entering U.S. ports.
The COE has no impact on shipping traffic entering Nigerian waters and/or berthing at its ports; it deals only with shipping traffic departing Nigerian ports that is destined for the United States.
The clear delineation of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) as the designated authority for implementation of the ISPS code was a positive step, and the United States is aware of NIMASA’s efforts to improve its oversight of Nigeria’s port facilities.
The U.S. Coast Guard will continue to collaborate with Nigeria with the goal of achieving full ISPS Code compliance and the removal of the COE, the statement concluded.
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