The International Bargaining Forum (IBF), a joint global body of maritime employers and seafarers' unions, has removed Nigeria from its list of countries designated as risk maritime nations, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) confirmed via a recent press release.
The IBF listed five designated risk areas and applicable benefits in the event of piracy attacks leading to deaths and disability, mentioning the Gulf of Guinea as a second extended war risk zone covering the maritime border between Liberia and Ivory Coast and the border between Angola and Namibia. The list also called for double compensation for seafarers who die or who suffer disability on the date of attack on vessels in the Gulf of Guinea.
NIMASA Director Dr Bashir Jamoh said the removal of Nigeria from the list was the result of "a well-structured multimodal policy" implemented over the years to combat piracy and other criminal activity in the country's waters.
