NIMASA To Share Details Of Helicopter Crash With IMO

In line with international maritime safety standards, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has said that findings about the helicopter that crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near Bonny Finima would be reported to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) via the Global Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS).

The agency noted that the decision was to demonstrate Nigeria’s commitment to transparency, accountability and cooperation within the global maritime community.

The agency’s Head, Public Relations, Osagie Edward said in statement that this was just as the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) otherwise called the black box was recovered at the weekend through an inter-agency collaboration involving NIMASA, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCLtd), HydroDive and other local and international search and rescue partners.

Also, the Director General of NIMASA, Dr Dayo Mobereola, while commenting on the incident, commended all organs of government for the swift, and well-coordinated inter agency partnership for the search and recovery operations. He noted that NIMASA will share information on the incident with the International Maritime Organisation.

The Global Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS) is an online platform developed by the IMO to support the timely and accurate reporting of incidents, accidents and other essential maritime data.

“This platform enables member states to share information crucial to improving safety protocols, updating best practices, and fostering international cooperation.

According to Mobereola, “NIMASA is committed to working closely with all relevant Agencies to determine the cause of the incident and to take all necessary steps to prevent future occurrences.

“As we mourn those lost, NIMASA reaffirms its dedication to the safety of Nigeria’s maritime domain and the continued strengthening of inter-agency collaboration.

He said that on October 24th 2024, the agency received distress signals at the Regional Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC)and the C4i center of the Deep Blue project and shared same with the Nigerian Navy, who immediately deployed NIMASA’s specialized Search and rescue assets to the crash site to locate the downed aircraft and conduct recovery efforts under challenging conditions.

The helicopter crashed in the Atlantic Ocean near Bonny Finima, at a distance of 1.4km from the starboard side of the Floating Producing Storage Offloading FPSO, NUIM ANTAN Producing Ltd owned by Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC Limited.