The Nigerian Navy (NN) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) have renewed their strategic partnership through 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 and witnessed by the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Idi Abbas; the Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of NIMASA, Dr Dayo Mobereola; principal staff officers and senior officials of both organisations.
The renewed MoU consolidates a partnership that dates back to 2007 and has been sustained through successive renewals.
It is expected to enhance coordination, operational alignment and cooperation between the two institutions in safeguarding Nigeria’s maritime interests.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mobereola described the renewal 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 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 DG also acknowledged the Nigerian Navy as a critical pillar of the country’s maritime security architecture and commended its operational support to NIMASA.
Similarly, Vice Admiral Abbas described the renewed agreement as an important milestone in the long-standing relationship between the two institutions.
The CNS expressed confidence in NIMASA’s leadership and progress, assuring the agency of the Navy’s continued operational support in the effective discharge of its mandate over the next five years.
Under the renewed framework, the Navy and NIMASA will deepen cooperation in maritime safety and security, marine pollution control, search and rescue, maritime law enforcement, intelligence and information sharing, hydrography, training and professional capacity development.
The partnership is expected to enhance maritime domain awareness, improve coordinated responses to incidents at sea, and strengthen the safety of ships, crew, cargo, passengers and navigation within Nigeria’s maritime domain.
The MoU also provides for regular institutional reviews and the joint convening of an annual Maritime Safety and Security Conference to assess progress, address emerging challenges and refine areas of cooperation.
The Nigerian Navy said the renewed partnership would contribute to securing Nigeria’s territorial waters and Exclusive Economic Zone, protecting lives and property, safeguarding legitimate maritime activities 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 advance national security.
