The Shipping Association of Nigeria (SAN) has raised a major alarm over the persistent and illegal boarding of vessels by stowaways at the nation's seaports. The association disclosed that shipping companies operating in Nigeria record a staggering approximately 2,300 security breaches involving stowaways every year.
Shipping Firms Bear Cost of Security Failures
Chairman of the association, Boma Alabi, expressed deep concern over the situation. She revealed that despite shipping companies making regular payments in dollars to government agencies responsible for securing vessels at berth, criminals still find ways to access ships illegally. Alabi stated that about 15 foreign shipping lines currently operate in Nigeria, and each one experiences between two to three stowaway incidents every week.
She described the trend as deeply troubling, noting that shipping companies face severe consequences for these breaches. For every stowaway arrested, the responsible shipping company is sanctioned with a $2,000 fine. Furthermore, the firms must also bear the full cost of repatriating the individuals caught.
Calls for Policy Review and Improved Security
Alabi strongly argued that this policy needs an urgent review. She insisted that shipping firms should not be held liable for individuals who manage to breach port perimeter security, a duty that falls under government security agencies. "We are not responsible for people who break through the port security," she emphasized, calling for greater efficiency from the tasked agencies.
Her point highlighted a contradiction: shipping companies pay for security but are still penalized when that security fails. She stressed that the maritime industry is crucial to the national economy and its security lapses affect everyone.
Security Agencies Dispute the Reported Figures
In response to these claims, officials from port security bodies challenged the association's statistics. A Port Security Officer with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) argued that the figure of 2,300 breaches might be exaggerated. He claimed that only about 10 stowaway cases were officially recorded at the busy Apapa Port so far this year and advised checking the International Maritime Bureau's website for verified global data.
Similarly, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) countered the association's numbers, maintaining that the true figures are nowhere near the level being reported by the shipping firms. This disagreement points to a significant disparity in incident reporting and accountability between private operators and public security forces at the ports.
The ongoing issue underscores a critical security and financial challenge for the maritime sector in Nigeria, with shipping companies caught between paying for security, facing heavy fines, and disputing the scale of the problem with the authorities meant to solve it.
