The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the apex regulatory and maritime agency, has concluded plans to set up an automated ship registration process through online and electronic procedure
The goal is to have a world-class ship registry and enhance ease of doing business in the maritime sector.
Dr Dakuku Peterside, director-general of NIMASA, stated that automation was the only way to boost the worth of the registry and quicken business processes. According to Peterside, the agency had acquired software license for the automation of the Nigerian Ship Registration Office (NSRO).
“Our principal aim is to achieve online electronic registration, accept electronic copies of documents and issue electronic certificates. Our goal as a maritime safety administration is to create a world-class ship registry, which will be attractive to shipowners, with the aim of maintaining the influence of Nigeria in evolving international commercial and regulatory environment for shipping,” he added.
He further stated that that to secure an internationally-competitive ship registry for Nigeria, the agency had commenced an audit of the register of Nigerian vessels, redesigning and producing new ship registry certificates, automation of the ship registry, upgrade of the ship registry filing facility and review of ship registration guidelines.
