The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), and Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) have collaborated to develop a regulatory framework to provide operational guidelines for submarine cable operators in the country.
In a statement released on Sunday by Osagie Edward, assistant director, public relations, NIMASA, the agency said it is committed to ease of doing business and implementing international conventions in Nigeria.
NIMASA added that its focus is to ensure safety of shipping and provide guidelines to regulate submarine operators.
“It is worthy to note that marine cable laying has been ongoing for over two decades in Nigerian waters,” the statement read.
“Our focus is to ensure the safety of navigation of shipping in Nigerian waters with all these underwater cables being laid.
“NIMASA is actually developing the guidelines to regulate submarine cable operators in line with the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
“We do not just implement laws; we consult. Where the responsibility of an agency stops, that is where the responsibilities of another agency starts.”
Also speaking, Umar Danbatta, the executive vice chairman of NCC, said the stakeholders’ dialogue strategy adopted by NIMASA in developing the guidelines would ensure a “win-win situation”.
He then urged NIMASA to include the ministry of justice in the development of the guidelines.
, and Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) have collaborated to develop a regulatory framework to provide operational guidelines for submarine cable operators in the country.){kind=link}