Navy, NIMASA Renew Five Year Pact to Strengthen Maritime Security

The Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) have renewed their strategic partnership with the signing of a five year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening maritime safety and security across Nigeria’s maritime domain.

The agreement was signed at the Naval Headquarters in Abuja in the presence of the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of NIMASA, Dayo Mobereola; Principal Staff Officers and senior officials of both organisations.

The renewed agreement builds on a partnership that dates back to 2007 and has been sustained through successive renewals, reflecting the enduring importance of inter-agency cooperation in safeguarding Nigeria’s maritime interests.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mobereola described the MoU as a reaffirmation of the commitment of both organisations to the security, safety, sustainability and prosperity of Nigeria’s maritime domain and Blue Economy.

He said Nigeria’s economic wellbeing was closely linked to the sea, making the protection of the country’s maritime space a national imperative.

The NIMASA chief acknowledged the Nigerian Navy as a critical pillar of the country’s maritime security architecture and commended its operational support to the agency in carrying out its statutory responsibilities.

Also speaking, the CNS described the renewed MoU as an important milestone in the longstanding relationship between the two institutions, which he said was founded on decades of cooperation and shared national interests.

Vice Admiral Abbas expressed confidence in NIMASA’s leadership and the progress being recorded by the agency, reaffirming the Navy’s commitment to sustained collaboration for improved national outcomes.

He pledged the Navy’s operational support to enable NIMASA effectively discharge its mandate throughout the five-year period, stressing that sustained inter-agency cooperation was essential to securing Nigeria’s maritime space and advancing the national interest.

Under the renewed agreement, the two organisations will deepen collaboration in maritime safety and security, marine pollution control, search and rescue, maritime law enforcement, intelligence and information sharing, hydrography, as well as training and professional capacity development.

The areas of cooperation are expected to enhance maritime domain awareness, improve coordinated responses to incidents at sea and strengthen the protection of ships, crew, cargo, passengers and navigation within Nigeria’s maritime domain.

The MoU also provides for stronger institutional mechanisms for timely intelligence and information exchange, effective utilisation of relevant facilities and capabilities, and cooperation in other areas of mutual interest.

To ensure effective implementation, the agreement provides for regular institutional reviews and the joint convening of an annual Maritime Safety and Security Conference.

The mechanisms are expected to enable both institutions to assess progress, address emerging challenges and refine joint priorities to ensure that the partnership delivers practical and measurable outcomes.

The Nigerian Navy said securing Nigeria’s territorial waters and Exclusive Economic Zone remained critical to protecting lives and property, safeguarding legitimate maritime activities, preserving national security and creating an enabling environment for the sustainable development of the Blue Economy.

The Navy reaffirmed its commitment to working with NIMASA, sister Services and other security agencies to protect Nigeria’s maritime interests and defend the nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

It pledged to continue efforts towards creating a safer, more secure and prosperous maritime environment for Nigeria and the wider Gulf of Guinea.