Nigeria’s coastal assets are staggering – the nation sits on one of Africa’s most spectacular coastlines. Put in proper perspective, Nigeria is haemorrhaging billions in tourism revenue while sitting on, perhaps, Africa’s most valuable coastline.
The country possesses the single longest sand beach in West Africa — stretching across nearly all of Akwa Ibom State into Cross River. It stretches from Ikot Abasi through Eastern Obolo, Ibeno, Utan Brama to Ibaka in Mbo, on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. The coastline rivals those of entire nations that have built thriving tourism economies.
Yet Nigeria remains conspicuously absent from the continent’s tourism success stories. Smaller nations like Ghana, Kenya, Senegal and Tanzania with modest beaches generate billions from coastal tourism. But Nigeria, fixates on oil revenues, watch helplessly, missing a transformative economic opportunity that could dwarf petroleum earnings.
The numbers tell a compelling story. Dubai’s transformation from oil-dependent economy to tourism powerhouse demonstrates tourism’s superior revenue potential. Emirates Airlines, now a global giant, owes its existence to this strategic pivot. The emirate generates more sustainable income from tourism than many oil-producing nations earn from petroleum exports. Nigeria, with its vastly superior coastal resources, cultural diversity, and population size, could dwarf Dubai’s achievements.
The tourism potential spans multiple lucrative sectors: leisure tourism for Nigeria’s growing middle class and international visitors, business tourism leveraging the country’s economic prominence, wellness tourism capitalizing on coastal serenity, cultural tourism showcasing rich heritage, and ecotourism protecting pristine marine environments. Each represents billions in potential revenue and millions of jobs.
However, the key to unlocking this potential may rests not just with tourism ministries or economic planners, but with an unexpected player: the Nigerian Police Force.
Nigeria’s tourism sector faces a fundamental security barrier. The memories of thriving coastal tourism in the 1970s and 1980s, when students pooled resources for beach excursions and companies held annual retreats at coastal resorts, feel like distant dreams. Today, the $360 million Tinapa Business and Leisure Resort in Cross River State stands as a monument to unfulfilled potential, struggling with dwindling investment and visitor confidence.
The Niger Delta crisis has particularly devastated coastal tourism prospects. Foreign tourists and investors fear kidnapping, hostage-taking, and violence. Even domestic tourists avoid coastal destinations due to dangerous access roads and unpredictable security situations. The Gulf of Guinea’s reputation for piracy and sea theft further compounds these challenges, creating a perception of widespread insecurity that extends far beyond actual risk zones.
This security challenge requires a nuanced understanding. While the Nigerian Navy and Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) handle high-seas security, coastal communities fall primarily under police jurisdiction. Research consistently shows that maritime crimes are most effectively prevented by stopping criminals from reaching the water in the first place. Once pirates or thieves reach the high seas, interdiction becomes exponentially more difficult and expensive.
Recent developments suggest the Nigeria Police Force recognises this opportunity. Inspector General Dr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun’s actions last June signal a strategic shift toward maritime security. His meeting with Nigerian Shippers’ Council CEO, Dr. Akutah Pius Ukeyima, focused on securing ships in Nigerian waterways, while the commissioning of 31 operational gunboats for the Police Marine Unit demonstrates serious commitment to coastal security.
These initiatives align with President Tinubu’s blue economy agenda, but their tourism implications may be even more significant. The police’s unique position — operating where land meets sea — makes them indispensable for creating the secure environment tourism requires. Unlike other security agencies with specific maritime mandates, police can address the root causes of coastal insecurity: the socio-economic conditions that drive individuals toward maritime crime.
The convergence of police maritime capacity building and Nigeria’s tourism potential creates an unprecedented opportunity. The Federal Ministries of Blue Economy and Tourism should immediately engage the Nigerian Police Force in joint planning for coastal security enhancement. This collaboration could transform the upcoming 2025 International Tourism Day on September 27th into a launching pad for Nigeria’s coastal tourism renaissance.
The strategy should begin with comprehensive public outreach promoting Niger Delta safety for tourism. Private sector partnerships, including collaboration with established security firms like Tanita Security Services, could provide additional resources and expertise. Success requires moving beyond traditional government-only approaches to embrace public-private partnerships that leverage all available capabilities.
Most critically, this initiative needs sustained political will and resource allocation. The police’s coastal security responsibilities must be adequately funded and legally empowered. Clear protocols for inter-agency coordination between police, navy, and NIMASA will prevent jurisdictional confusion and ensure seamless security coverage.
Nigeria can choose to continue watching smaller nations prosper from coastal tourism while remaining trapped in oil dependency, or it can leverage its natural advantages to build a transformative tourism economy. The Nigerian Police Force’s recent maritime initiatives provide the foundation for this transformation.
Security isn’t just a prerequisite for tourism development — it is the cornerstone upon which Nigeria’s coastal economic revolution will be built. With proper support, coordination, and resources, the same police officers now commissioning gunboats could soon be protecting beaches filled with international tourists, coastal resorts generating billions in revenue, and communities transformed by sustainable tourism employment. Nigeria’s coastal gold awaits extraction, and the key may lie in the hands of those sworn to protect and serve.
