The Nigerian Navy (NN) 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, Dr Dayo Mobereola; Principal Staff Officers and senior officials of both institutions.
The renewed MoU consolidated a partnership that dated back to 2007 and has been sustained through successive renewals, reflecting the enduring cooperation between the two institutions in safeguarding Nigeria’s maritime interests.
Speaking ahead of the signing, Mobereola described the renewal as a reaffirmation of the shared commitment of the Navy and NIMASA to the security, safety, sustainability and prosperity of Nigeria’s maritime domain and Blue Economy.
He stressed that Nigeria’s economic wellbeing is closely linked to the sea, making the protection of the nation’s maritime space a national imperative.
The NIMASA boss also acknowledged the Nigerian Navy as a critical pillar of the country’s maritime security architecture, recognising its operational support to the agency in the discharge of its statutory responsibilities.
In his remarks, Vice Admiral Abbas described the renewed MoU as an important milestone in a longstanding relationship built on decades of cooperation and shared national interests.
The CNS expressed confidence in NIMASA’s leadership and the progress being recorded by the agency, while reaffirming the Navy’s commitment to sustained collaboration to achieve improved national outcomes.
He pledged the operational support of the Nigerian Navy towards the effective implementation of NIMASA’s mandate over the next five years, stressing that sustained inter-agency cooperation remains critical to securing Nigeria’s maritime space and advancing the national interest.
Under the renewed framework, the two institutions will deepen cooperation 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 collaboration is 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 agreement also provides for enhanced institutional mechanisms for timely intelligence and information exchange, appropriate utilisation of relevant facilities and capabilities, and cooperation in other areas of mutual interest.
To ensure effective implementation, the MoU provides for regular institutional reviews and the joint convening of an annual Maritime Safety and Security Conference.
The mechanisms are expected to enable both organisations 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 remains fundamental 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 readiness to continue working with NIMASA, sister Services and other security agencies to protect Nigeria’s maritime interests and defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The partnership, it added, is expected to contribute to a safer, more secure and prosperous maritime environment for Nigeria and the wider Gulf of Guinea.
