By Patrick Ogboru
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Nigerian Navy have entered into an alliance to expand the Deep Blue Project. The disclosure came after the Director General of (NIMASA), Dr. Dayo Mobereola, paid a strategic visit to the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Idi Abass, at the Naval Headquarters in Abuja recently.
The visit was aimed at discussing the success of the Deep Blue Project, a maritime security architecture that has been widely acclaimed globally.
During the visit, Dr. Mobereola congratulated Vice Admiral Abass on his appointment as the CNS and commended him for his previous service as Commander of the Maritime Guard Command (MGC) in NIMASA. The NIMASA DG emphasized the importance of continued partnership between NIMASA and the Nigerian Navy, which has been instrumental in achieving successes in maritime security in Nigeria.
According to Mobereola, the Deep Blue Project has attained global recognition as a vital component of Nigeria’s maritime security architecture.
He highlighted the project’s strategic gains, noting that it has become a model for other countries in Africa and beyond. The IMO has taken notice of the project’s success and has expressed interest in learning from Nigeria’s experience.
Dr. Mobereola also discussed the possibility of expanding the Deep Blue Project, which has had a significant impact on maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea. The NIMASA DG emphasized that the project has been a huge success and that it was essential to sustain and expand it to ensure greater sustainability.
In response, Vice Admiral Abass commended NIMASA for its successes in the maritime sector and acknowledged the agency’s continued support to the Nigerian Navy. The CNS noted that part of his command objective is to work in synergy with other agencies to achieve national goals.
The CNS also suggested that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NIMASA and the Nigerian Navy, which has been in place since 2007, should be revisited with a view to strengthening the collaboration. Vice Admiral Abass noted that the Navy has adequate capacity to provide support to NIMASA in areas such as vessel repair, hydrographic surveys, and chartings.
Furthermore, the CNS requested NIMASA’s assistance in wreck removal, particularly as the Navy gears towards its 70th Anniversary, when it is looking forward to welcoming foreign ships. He also commended NIMASA for launching the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF) Application Portal, noting that the agency has come a long way in its planned disbursement of the fund.
Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Abass also presented a souvenir to the Director General, Dr Mobereola.
The visit was part of Dr. Mobereola’s commitment to collaboration as a core pillar of delivering on NIMASA’s mandate in areas such as maritime safety and security, environmental protection, and sustainability, as well as capacity building. The NIMASA DG’s visit to the CNS demonstrates the agency’s commitment to working with other agencies to achieve national goals.
