Nigeria Plans to Establish Coast Guards for Enhanced Maritime Security, Says Oyetola
Adegboyega Oyetola, the Minister for Marine and Blue Economy, has revealed intentions to establish coast guards as part of efforts to enhance safety and security in Nigeria’s waters. This announcement was made during a meeting held on Tuesday in London, where Oyetola engaged with officials from various countries on the sidelines of the 33rd session of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) General Assembly.
“As we continue to expand and develop the activities of the sector, there will be a need to deepen security architecture within the maritime space, so we are considering setting up Coast Guards and we believe that they will complement the existing security architecture to further secure our maritime space,” Oyetola told Brazil’s Chief of Navy’s General Staff, Adm José Augusto V. da Cunha de Menezes.
Oyetola mentioned that Nigeria is keen on studying the Brazilian Coast Guards as the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy aims to establish a similar entity. This initiative is driven by the goal of bolstering security in the maritime space and safeguarding the country’s waterways.
“We want to also focus on sectors such as marine renewable energy, marine mining, subsea cabling and piping, marine genetics, and biotechnology, so as to grow the marine and blue economy,” he said.
Additionally, Oyetola engaged in discussions with ministers and representatives from Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, and Jamaica, conveying the Nigerian government’s eagerness to glean insights from their knowledge and experiences.
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He underscored the importance of leveraging advanced marine technologies, such as innovations in maritime logistics solutions, to boost the effectiveness and sustainability of maritime transport and port operations. The ultimate goal is to enhance the global competitiveness of Nigerian ports.
Furthermore, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia reached an agreement during the meeting to formalize their collaboration by signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU). This signifies a commitment to structured cooperation between the two nations in the maritime sector.
