The Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dayo Mobereola, has reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with security agencies to tackle insecurity in Nigeria’s territorial waters.
Mobereola stated this on Tuesday during the Deep Blue Maritime Operational Sea Demonstration and graduation ceremony held at Navy Town in Lagos.
According to him, sustained collaboration among maritime stakeholders remains critical to ensuring the long-term success of the Deep Blue Project and the safety of Nigeria’s maritime domain.
“I wish to reiterate the shared vision to ensure the sustainability of the Deep Blue project. It is our commitment to strengthen these partnerships for the overall progress of the Nigerian maritime industry,” he said.
He added that the agency would continue to work with security agencies to build a maritime sector that is safe, secure, resilient, and capable of supporting sustainable economic growth.
Mobereola also disclosed that Nigeria had recorded zero piracy incidents in the last four years, describing the achievement as a major milestone for the country’s maritime industry.
“It is important to state that for the last four years, Nigeria has maintained an impressive record of zero incidents of piracy attacks, leading to reduced war risk insurance premiums and restoring Nigeria’s global maritime confidence all through the instrumentality of the Deep Blue project,” he stated.
The NIMASA boss noted that the success recorded under the Deep Blue initiative contributed significantly to Nigeria’s election into Category C of the International Maritime Organisation.
During the ceremony, certificates and awards were presented to more than 180 members of the Maritime Security Unit who completed specialised maritime security training.
Mobereola explained that the 177 graduates included Special Mission Vessel Officers, Special Mission Vessel Engineers, First Intervention Boat Drivers, technicians, boarding team members, and helicopter personnel drawn from the Armed Forces, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Department of State Security.
He said the participants underwent intensive training to improve operational efficiency, intelligence coordination, and rapid response capabilities within Nigeria’s maritime space.
The training covered helicopter operations, medical evacuation, vessel landing and clearing, interceptor boat operations, tactical manoeuvres, communication systems, unmanned aerial systems, first aid, and combat medic skills.
Mobereola expressed confidence that the training would help sustain the security gains already achieved in Nigeria’s waters.
Also speaking at the event, the Flag Officer Commanding the Western Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy, Rear Admiral Abubakar Mustapha, represented the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas.
Mustapha said the ceremony symbolised a renewed commitment to ensuring the safety, security, and prosperity of Nigeria’s maritime domain and the Gulf of Guinea.
He described the Deep Blue Project as a strong example of effective inter-agency collaboration, stressing that national security depends heavily on cooperation among institutions.
According to him, the maritime environment continues to face evolving threats that require professionalism, vigilance, cooperation, and continuous capacity development among maritime security personnel.
He commended NIMASA for supporting initiatives aimed at improving maritime governance and operational effectiveness in Nigeria’s maritime sector.
“The Nigerian Navy, in collaboration with NIMASA and other stakeholders, will continue to strengthen synergy in order to deny criminal elements freedom of action within our maritime space,” Mustapha said.
The Head of the Deep Blue Project, Mrs. Gladys Owolabi, also stated that Nigeria’s waters had become significantly safer against piracy, robbery, and other maritime crimes.
She explained that the project’s sustainability agenda focuses on training, maintenance, and coordination of various operational assets and platforms under the initiative.
A sea rescue mission was demonstrated during the event as part of the operational display.
The Deep Blue Project was officially launched on June 10, 2021, following rising piracy incidents in Nigerian waters that forced vessels entering the country to pay high war risk insurance premiums.
