The Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA are moving to fuse their most advanced surveillance and hydrographic capabilities in a bid to make Nigerian waters safer for ship and more hostile to maritime crime.
By aligning the Navy’s specialised hydrographic vessels with NIMASA’s maritime security assets, both agencies say they can better detect underwater hazards, improve charting of shipping routes and accelerate the removal of wrecks that threaten navigation, while also strengthening maritime domain awareness.
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The push for deeper collaboration was outlined during a visit to NIMASA’s headquarters by Abdullahi Mustapha, flag officer commanding the Western Naval Command, who said closer operational ties had already delivered tangible security gains and could now be extended to navigation safety.
He said improved information sharing, including tighter integration between NIMASA’s C4i Centre and the Navy’s Falcon Eye surveillance system, would sharpen real-time monitoring across Nigeria’s coastline and approaches, helping authorities respond faster to threats and incidents at sea.
Mustapha also pointed to the role of platforms provided under the Deep Blue Project, operated by the Navy, in boosting patrol reach and deterrence. He said the addition of modern hydrographic vessels capable of accurately locating and measuring wrecks would strengthen NIMASA’s capacity to clear navigational obstacles and reduce risks for commercial shipping.
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According to him, the deployment of hydrographic ships such as the NNS Lana and NNS Ochuzor has already raised safety standards in the maritime sector, underscoring the need for sustained joint operations and data sharing between both agencies.
Responding, Dayo Mobereola, director general, at NIMASA, linked recent improvements in maritime security to the Federal Government’s broader economic ambitions, describing safe territorial waters as essential to attracting investment and supporting diversification away from oil.
