The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has began arrangement with the Federal Ministry of Environment to create a detailed action plan that would assist the nation to effectively address climate change issues in the maritime industry.
The Director-General, NIMASA, Dakuku Peterside, who disclosed this at the stakeholders forum on MARPOL Annex VI and other emerging issues on climate change in Nigerian maritime sector, in Lagos, said: “If you want address poverty in a sustainable manner, you cannot ignore the oceans. And if you must explore the seas and oceans in a sustainable manner, green house gas emission must be taken seriously,”
MARPOL Annex VI pact of the International Maritime Organisation is a regulation for prevention of air pollution from ships.Peterside enjoined the ship owners to take a cue from the global maritime industry and adopt quality and clean fuel initiative in line with the IMO sulphur content specification of 0.5mm by 2020
He said the agency is currently collaborating with the Nigerian Meterological Agency (Nimet) and Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in establishing climate observatories along Nigerian coastlines, and through this collaboration stations have been established at the NIMASA Search and Rescue centre and OAU Ile Ife.
He said NIMASA is also working with the World Bank to identify climate change impacted coastal areas of Nigeria for possible assistance in developing Climate Change Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) on Proposed Projects on Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) in Nigerian maritime and geological formation.
Nigeria is currently committed to reduction of Green House Gas Emission unconditionally by 20 per cent and conditionally by 45 per cent.The Executive Director (Operations), NIMASA, Rotimi Fashakin, said NIMASA is leading Nigeria’s maritime operators to the full compliance with the green house gas emission reduction.
Researcher of Climatology, Department of Geology, University of Lagos, Emmanuel Oladipo, lauded the agency for taking the issue of global warming seriously, urging it to come up with an action plan that would help the nation in its quest to reducing green house gas emission.
He noted that within the African continent, South Africa has the highest record of green house gas emission at 38 per cent, while Nigeria alongside Libya, Egypt, Algeria, Morrocco contributes 46 per cent to green house gas emission.
Oladipo said the nation is already feeling impact of global warming, as the sea level is already rising by 3.4 per cent yearly, hence the need to urgently take decisive action towards reducing green house gas emission.
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