Eromosele Abiodun
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Nigerian Navy have renewed their strategic partnership with the endorsement of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen maritime security, enhance safety and deepen coordinated enforcement across Nigeria’s maritime domain.
The MoU was signed at the Nigerian Navy Headquarters, Abuja, by the Director General of NIMASA, Dr Dayo Mobereola, and the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas.
The agreement provides a framework for enhanced collaboration in the promotion and maintenance of maritime security and the effective implementation of the Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences (SPOMO) Act, the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code and other relevant maritime laws and regulations within NIMASA’s mandate.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, the NIMASA Director General, Dr Dayo Mobereola, commended the commitment of the Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, to strengthening inter-agency collaboration as a key driver of maritime security and the development of Nigeria’s Blue Economy.
He said the renewed MoU would provide a stronger institutional framework for both organisations to discharge their respective statutory mandates while consolidating the gains already recorded in securing Nigeria’s maritime domain. This he said will enhance achieving the goals of President Bola Tinubu GCFR for the Blue Economy.
According to him, the agreement is also designed to address emerging maritime security challenges through improved coordination, information sharing and operational cooperation.
In his remarks, the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, described the signing as a milestone in the enduring relationship between the Nigerian Navy and NIMASA.
He noted that the renewed MoU contained important additions aimed at strengthening the response to the evolving nature of maritime security challenges.