How RMAC, MDA Have Become the Game Changer in Tackling Maritime Crimes 

That the Regional Maritime Awareness Capability, RMAC, and the Maritime Domain Awareness Capability, MDA, have become game changer in enhancing sea vision and ensuring more effective maritime safety are undisputable facts. Tapping into this, 29 personnel of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, were recently trained at the Nigerian Navy Regional Awareness Capability Training School, Chiemelie Ezeobi reports 

On a certain Friday about two weeks ago, the Nigerian Navy graduated 29 personnel of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) on the use of Regional Maritime Awareness Capability (RMAC) system.

RMAC, MDA as Sea Vision Game Changer in Maritime Safety 

What is RMAC and even the Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) Capabilities and why are they so important in enhancing maritime safety? 

According to the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Naval Doctrine Command, Rear Admiral Habilla Zakaria, 

“The Regional Maritime Awareness Capability and the Maritime Domain Awareness System are very important system for Nigerian Navy operations.

“The system provides actionable intelligence for Nigerian Navy ships on patrol to be vectored to vessels of interest with almost precision. This will enhance the policing functions of the Nigerian Navy and by extension ensure safety of Nigeria’s maritime environment.”

The FOC, who reiterated that the RMAC and the Maritime Domain Awareness system have become a game changer in the safety and security of Nigeria’s maritime domain, made this disclosure while speaking at the graduation ceremony of staff of NIMASA’s Regional Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre at Western Naval Command, Apapa, Lagos. 

The FOC said the establishment of RMAC ensured that one could see what was happening within the environment, which was a way of tackling sea blindness within Nigeria’s maritime domain.

Thus, he said with the training given, “It is was expected that the graduates will be able to man the regional maritime rescue coordination centre of NIMASA effectively. Further collaboration and synergy between the Nigerian Navy and NIMASA will ensure that we broaden our horizon and ensure safety of the Nigerian maritime environment.”

Earlier in his opening remarks,  the Commandant RMAC Training School, Lieutenant Commander Eddy Omokhodion commended the collective resolve to ensure training for excellence for Maritime Domain Awareness personnel.

While reiterating that the Gulf of Guinea remains a strategic maritime environment with enormous potential that has been persistently challenged with a myriad of threats directed mainly at the economic lifelines of its littoral and landlocked states, he said these maritime security challenges threaten global trade and economies of the countries within the Gulf of Guinea region particularly Nigeria. 

 As discomforting as these threats would appear, they are not insurmountable hence, the deployment of Maritime Domain Awareness systems to help Nigeria develop an understanding of their domain especially those that will impact their security, economy, safety and environment. 

He said: “It is against this backdrop that the Maritime Domain Awareness Centres were established in Nigeria particularly in NIMASA been a major stakeholder in the maritime environment for the effective monitoring of our respective maritime space. 

” Consequently, the conduct of this training was to develop NIMASA Regional Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre MDA manpower and to further enhance the collaborative efforts between the Nigerian navy and NIMASA that confirms the value of partnership in checkmating the maritime threats within Nigeria waters. 

“The Awareness training is designed to give students basic knowledge in Maritime Domain Awareness courses such as, Equipment operation, maintenance and Rigging techniques.”

While commending the renewed leadership and vigor provided by the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ikechukwu Ogalla, in his vision statement and the improved collaborative initiative of this training, he added that the course was conducted and administered by a team of Nigerian Navy RMAC instructors. 

Boost for Collaborations

For Mr. Taiwo Olaniran, Head of Maritime Safety and Safer Standard Department, NIMASA, collaborating with the Nigerian Navy had helped NIMASA in the discharge of its responsibility effectively.

He said: “Such trainings has helped in the improvement of NIMASA’s ability to enforce it’s regulations with respect to ships, trading within our waters. Overall, this has made us more effective in the discharge of our responsibilities.”

Corroborating, one of the graduands, Mr. Zakaria Maimafiya, said the training had improved his surveillance, operations and intelligence gathering within the agency, adding that it also gave him knowledge on how to investigate a vessel, try a vessel of interest and to see how one can analyse vessels without proper registration coming into Nigeria.