Nigeria on Friday lost its re-election bid into Category `C’ of the Governing body of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).
Nigeria has been a member of the council since 2009.
The Europe Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria reports that the 40–member countries were elected into the council’s Categories `A’, `B,’ and `C` for the 2012-2013, at the 27th Regular Session of the IMO Assembly in London.
Category `C’ comprises countries with special interest in maritime transport or navigation and whose election into the council will ensure the representation of all major geographic areas of the world.
Those elected under “C” included Australia, Bahamas, Belgium, Chile, Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, Liberia, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Morocco, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa,Thailand and Turkey.
Category `A’ comprises 10 countries with the largest interest in providing international shipping services, including China, Greece, Italy, Japan, Norway, Panama, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, United Kingdom and United States of America.
Also elected under Category `B’ are countries with the largest interest in international seaborne trade including
Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden.
Meanwhile, IMO’s Secretary-General, Mr Efthimios Mitropoulos, said Nigeria was commended for a successful maritime search and rescue programme along the coastal waters of Africa.
Mitropoulos who noted in particular the successful establishment of the regional Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC), described it as one of the country’s achievements as a member of the IMO in the last two years.
He suggested that the project be replicated in the Central American region’ with plans to have two regional MRCCs and five sub-centres established in that region.
Earlier, the Minister of Transport, Sen. Idris Umar, who led Nigeria’s delegation to the Assembly, said Nigeria had recorded a number of achievements in the area of port development.
Umar explained that the security and waterway patrol effort of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), had actually paid-off in reducing water piracy in Nigeria and the regional coastal waters.
IMO is the United Nations specialised agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine pollution by ships.