Abuja MoU detains 14 deficient vessels in 2018.

It added that the figure represents 12.5 decline compared to the 2017 figure.

The figures gotten through its Port State Control (PSC) are contained in its 2018 annual report, a copy obtained by our correspondent.

The report revealed further that a total of 2,409 inspections on vessels were carried out among member nations in 2018.

It disclosed that Oil and chemical tankers topped the list of vessels detained, even as it added that the total number of vessels inspected by member states on the commodity for 2018 was 4.79% out of total inspected vessels.

Meanwhile, the number of ship inspections relating to ship type were conducted on bulk carriers with 981 (40.72%) followed by oil tankers 296 (12.29%) and general cargo/multipurpose vessels 268 (11.12%).

Others are chemical tankers 120 (4.98%) and refrigerated cargo vessels 166 (4.82%) concluded to top six most inspected type of ships.

Highlighting some of deficiencies that led to the detention of vessels, it noted that safety of navigation and living and working conditions topped defective items recorded under the SOLAS convention .

According to the statistical analysis of the 2018 PSC inspection result, Nigeria had the highest number of inspections among member nations, with a total of 636 vessels, followed by South Africa with 327 vessels for 2018.

However, Benin Republic and Senegal had 305 and 270 ships inspection respectively.

Meanwhile, Sierra Leone was spotted at the bottom of the list with just three ships inspection for 2018.

It further explained that the  region recorded 16.2% increase in inspection efforts from 2,074 in 2017, adding that 13 administrations submitted reports to 2,409 in 2018 with 14 administrations reporting.

According to the document: “A total of 727 deficiencies were recorded which is higher than the 2017 figure of 587.Correspondingly, the total number of  224 inspections with deficiencies is higher than the 174 figures of 2017.

“The percentage inspections with deficiencies of 9.29 in 2018 gives a 10.7% increase over 2017 figure of 8.39.