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The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) have intensified efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s maritime safety framework through enhanced institutional collaboration on marine casualty investigations, emergency response and information sharing.
The commitment was reaffirmed during a courtesy visit by the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the NSIB, Captain Alex Sabundu Badeh Jnr., to the Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, at the Agency’s headquarters in Lagos.
Speaking during the meeting, Mobereola underscored the importance of stronger inter-agency collaboration in advancing maritime safety, security and operational efficiency across Nigeria’s maritime domain.
“NIMASA understands the critical role of the NSIB in promoting transportation safety. Strengthening safety and security within our maritime domain requires commitment, collaboration and practical frameworks that deliver sustainable results,” he said.
According to the NIMASA boss, the two agencies share a common responsibility to build a maritime sector that operates in line with global best practices while safeguarding lives, vessels and the marine environment.
He added that the collaboration aligns with the vision of the Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Chief Adegboyega Oyetola, CON, whose emphasis on strategic partnerships continues to drive the implementation of the Federal Government’s Marine and Blue Economy agenda.
Mobereola reaffirmed NIMASA’s commitment to building a robust partnership with the NSIB, describing effective inter-agency cooperation as essential to strengthening Nigeria’s maritime safety architecture and delivering lasting value to the industry.
Earlier, the NSIB Director-General, Captain Badeh, described collaboration between the two agencies as critical to preventing marine casualties and improving transportation safety.
“Our mandates are different, but our destination is the same—a safer and more resilient maritime sector for Nigeria,” he said.
According to him, stronger cooperation through information sharing, technical expertise and best practices will significantly improve marine casualty investigations, enhance preventive measures and ensure that lessons from accidents translate into safer maritime operations.
He identified priority areas for collaboration to include marine casualty notification, emergency response coordination, preservation of evidence, technical support, information sharing, capacity building and the implementation of safety recommendations.
As part of the resolutions reached, both agencies agreed to immediately establish technical committees to develop the framework for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and draft the Terms of Reference that will guide collaboration in marine casualty investigations, capacity development, information sharing and implementation of safety recommendations.
The proposed partnership is expected to reinforce Nigeria’s compliance with international maritime conventions, strengthen institutional cooperation and further enhance the country’s maritime safety regime.
The collaboration also reflects NIMASA’s broader strategy of leveraging partnerships with national and international stakeholders to improve maritime safety and security, enhance regulatory efficiency and support the Federal Government’s vision of building a globally competitive and sustainable Blue Economy.
