Nigerian Navy and NIMASA move to deepen cooperation on hydrography and maritime safety
Efforts to strengthen maritime safety and unlock further economic potential in Nigeria’s waters are gaining momentum as the Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency step up their cooperation on hydrography, wreck removal and maritime security.
The renewed focus emerged during a familiarization visit by the Nigerian Navy’s Western Naval Command to the headquarters of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, where senior naval leadership highlighted the operational gains already delivered through close inter-agency collaboration.
Rear Admiral Abdullahi Mustapha, Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command, pointed to the tangible security improvements achieved through the long-standing partnership between the Navy and NIMASA, describing the results as clearly visible across Nigeria’s maritime domain: “The longstanding and unwavering partnership NIMASA had maintained with the Nigerian Navy culminated in the current tranquility being witnessed within the Nigerian maritime domain, and it is a clear testament to the strength of this partnership.”
Further integration of systems and data
According to Mustapha, further integration of systems and data is expected to enhance these gains. He highlighted the importance of improved information sharing through the integration of NIMASA’s C4i Centre with the Navy’s Falcon Eye maritime surveillance system, which he said would significantly strengthen maritime security.
He also acknowledged the operational impact of assets delivered under NIMASA’s Deep Blue Project, noting that platforms provided and maintained by the agency, and operated by the Navy, have materially enhanced naval operations across the region.
In addition, Mustapha drew attention to the role of recently acquired hydrographic vessels in supporting safer navigation. He explained that the vessels’ ability to accurately identify the location and dimensions of wrecks would substantially improve wreck removal efforts, contributing to higher safety standards in Nigeria’s waters. Sustaining those standards, he said, would require even closer collaboration between the two organizations.
Responding on behalf of NIMASA, Director General Dayo Mobereola positioned maritime security as a central pillar of Nigeria’s broader economic ambitions under the current administration.
“The maritime sector is at the forefront of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda as well as the Federal Government’s economic diversification policy and it is our shared obligation (NIMASA and the Navy) to deliver a safe and secure maritime space for maritime activities to thrive,” he said.
Mobereola added achieving and sustaining high levels of maritime security is essential to building investor confidence, particularly among international shipping companies considering long-term commitments in Nigeria. He also acknowledged the support of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, noting that continued political backing has helped to translate policy ambitions for the Blue Economy into concrete results.
