The Maritime Security Providers Association of Nigeria (MASPAN) has shed light on the significant financial losses suffered by shipowners and importers due to prolonged drug trafficking and stowaway investigations in countries without adequate legal frameworks.
According to MASPAN, ships can be detained for weeks or months during investigations, resulting in substantial losses for shipowners, which are then passed on to importers.
This has led to billions of dollars in war risk charges being paid annually by importers in West African countries, including Nigeria, despite the absence of piracy incidents in the Gulf of Guinea in recent years.
MASPAN attributes the reluctance of seafarers to work in countries without clear legal guidelines for handling drug and stowaway discoveries to the harsh realities they may face in such cases.
To address these challenges, MASPAN and the Alumni of Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron (AMANO) are hosting a maritime summit on drug smuggling and human trafficking by ship.
The event, scheduled for August 22, 2024, at Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, aims to bring stakeholders and regulatory agencies together to find solutions for efficient handling of these issues within a short timeframe.
The summit’s planning committee chairman, Emmanuel Maiguwa, emphasized the need for a swift resolution to these problems, citing the negative impact on shipping operations, increased costs, and trauma to seafarers.
The goal of the conference is to reduce drug and human smuggling and trafficking in the maritime domain, penalize perpetrators without harming innocent parties, and ensure the industry’s growth potential is not compromised.
