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Our operations are critical to preserve national peace, security– Navy 

Gloria Odion 
The Nigerian Navy has said its operations which span across the stretch of the nation’s space is critical and strategic to preserve national security.
According to the Commanding Officer of the Nigerian Navy, Forward Operating Base Badagry, Capt Leyeh Omotayo, its officers and men are also on standby to respond to any situation affecting movements of goods and citizens within designated ECOWAS space.
Omotayo, who was speaking when he received a delegation of the leadership of the ECOWAS Subregion Media Group who paid him a courtesy visit, explained that the job of the NN does not entertain any form of laxity nor compromise to crush acts of economic criminalities on Nigerian territorial waters.
The FOB CO ,who was represented during the visit on Tuesday, July 1, 2025 by the Base Staff Officer, S. Yakubu ,said the criticality of the NN to the maintenance of peace and security within the nation and the ECOWAS sub region is further emphasized by what is known as the ‘Strategic Directive’.
This philosophy , he further maintained, temanates from the Office of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla and designed as a quick response to quell developments that are detrimental to the peace and security of the nation.
One of the major credits to the FOB Badagry was a recent curtailment of attempted trespass by the Republic of Benin Navy into Nigerian territory; believed to have been speedily responded to under the CNS SD as part of the NN Internal Security assignment.
Speaking about various forms of economic criminalities within its territory stretching across the borders, Yakubu explained that most smuggling activities are planned on land before they are executed at the creeks, while some of the smuggled items are also routed through the creeks and rivers; and vice versa.
“We conduct operations in the waters and on land in the area of internal security; be it that of sovereign aggression, economic criminality or social uprising.
“We start from the brown waters and our men often go there to conduct operation before they go to sea.”
He said that the Base has regularly helped in making seizures both of customs and narcotic goods such as rice and cannabis sativa at the creeks which they later hand over to the Seme Command of the Nigeria Customs Service and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, respectively.
Yakubu further explained that of recent, the Base rescued three young
Nigerian ladies that were  trafficked out of Lagos and the victims were handed over to the Western Naval Command for onward handover to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons.
“On collaboration, we work with all other government security agencies on this axis and respond to request for enhanced counter action to arrest any security situation”, Yakubu said.
This is even as the Base leadership pledged to partner with ECOWAS  Sub-Region Media Group, while urging members of the group and the media generally to give greater attention to editorials designed to sensitize and provide a new positive  orientation to the Nigerian youths bracket that criminality is a misnomer.
“The CO who was to receive you personally have to rush out for an important assignment and he asked me to tell you that the Base will partner with you for the ease and success of your task as media practitioners.
“We regard the role of both the media and NN as an important national duty and we are are willing to collaborate with you.
“The job of the NN is also a very sensitive one and the media  should recognize it for what it is and desist from sensational and negative reports that are capable of creating distrust and or peddling inaccuracies.
” We thank you for your visit and look forward to working with you.”
Yakubu lamented that the media has unfortunately helped criminally minded youths and individual groups with the propagation of their negative actions, by promoting gains of notorious criminal activities.
“For instance, insurgents in  the north and elsewhere use the media to propagate their heinous crimes, others watching will be tempted to believe that criminality pays.
” The media should be circumspect on what to promote in its news, especially regarding any form of  criminalities, political, religious, social or economic.
” This is the only way to dissuade the younger ones from believing that crimes are gainful or normal, it is a misnomer”, he said.
President of the ESMG, Mr. Ovi Manuel Kuponu who shortly before the visit became indisposed and was represented by Mr. Eguono Odjegba, emphasized the importance of availing journalists firsthand information about developments to forestall misrepresentations and imbalances in their news reportage.
He noted that the group acknowledge Navy’s critical role in safeguarding Nigeria’s territorial integrity.
This collaboration marks a significant step towards ensuring that the public stays well informed about the vital work the Nigerian Navy is doing in maintaining national security and combating illegal activities along the country’s sub regional routes, roads and waterways inclusive; in addition to responding to other internal security issues.
The representative of the CO presented a plague to the group as a commemoration of the courtesy visit.
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Headlines

Oyetola visits Ghana, seeks regional collaboration to tackle illegal fishing, protect marine resources.

Gloria Odion Maritme reporter 
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‎Nigeria’s Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has called for stronger bilateral cooperation between Nigeria and Ghana to combat Illegal,Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, improve fisheries governance and ensure the sustainable management of shared marine resources.
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‎Oyetola made the call on Wednesday, 14th, October 2026, during a meeting with Ghana’s Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Hon. Emelia Arthur, in Accra, where both countries explored ways to strengthen collaboration in fisheries management and address the challenges posed by illegal fishing.
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‎The meeting focused on strengthening collaboration in fisheries management, improving vessel authorisation procedures and enhancing regional efforts to address illegal fishing across the West Central Gulf of Guinea.
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‎Oyetola, who is also the President of the Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC), said closer cooperation between both countries was essential to protecting marine resources, safeguarding food security,boosting government revenue and supporting the livelihoods of fishing communities.
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‎He noted that IUU fishing remained a shared challenge requiring coordinated action,effective information sharing and stronger enforcement mechanisms among countries in the subregion.
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‎The Minister identified Nigeria’s pilot implementation of the Regional Record of Authorised Fishing Vessels as a practical mechanism for strengthening cooperation with Ghana,particularly in verifying vessel authorisations and facilitating the exchange of relevant information through the FCWC framework.
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‎He proposed that technical teams from both countries work together to identify discrepancies in vessel authorisation records and establish agreed procedures for resolving them.
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‎He said the initiative would promote transparency, ensure compliance with fisheries regulations and strengthen monitoring across the region.
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‎“Our shared interest is to protect fisheries resources, expand sustainable production and strengthen the livelihoods of our people.
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‎Nigeria remains committed to working with Ghana towards these objectives,” Oyetola said.
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‎In her remarks, Arthur commended Nigeria for its efforts in combating piracy and acknowledged the progress recorded in the Marine and Blue Economy sector.
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‎She reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to tackling IUU fishing and pledged her country’s cooperation with Nigeria in addressing the challenge.
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‎The Ghanaian Minister also disclosed that Ghana had developed its own Marine and Blue Economy policy, seeking Nigeria’s support in sharing knowledge and experience, given its pioneering efforts in developing a similar policy framework.
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‎The request highlights the importance of policy exchange and technical cooperation between both countries in advancing sustainable ocean governance, strengthening fisheries management and unlocking opportunities within their respective blue economy sectors.

‎As part of his official engagements, Oyetola visited the FCWC Secretariat in Tema, Ghana, where he met with the Secretary-General,Dr. Antoine Djihinto, and other members of staff.
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‎The Minister commended the Secretariat for its achievements over the past year and reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to working with other member states to strengthen regional fisheries governance and intensify efforts to eliminate IUU fishing across the West Central Gulf of Guinea.
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‎He emphasised the need for sustained cooperation among member countries, noting that coordinated monitoring, control and surveillance,improved information sharing and effective implementation of regional initiatives were critical to protecting marine resources and ensuring their long-term sustainability.
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‎The FCWC comprises six member countries: Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Togo.
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‎The regional body provides a framework for cooperation in fisheries management, maritime security and the promotion of sustainable fishing practices across the West Central Gulf of Guinea.
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‎Oyetola’s visit underscores Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening regional partnerships, improving fisheries monitoring and enforcement, and promoting a sustainable Marine and Blue Economy that supports food security, economic growth and the livelihoods of coastal communities across the subregion.

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Customs

Calabar Customs seeks strong collaboration with sister agencies for enhanced security

Gloria Odion,  Maritme reporter 

‎The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Cross River/Calabar Free Trade Zone/Akwa Ibom (CR/CFTZ/AK) Area Command, has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening inter-agency collaboration and intelligence sharing to address security challenges, facilitate legitimate trade and enhance operational efficiency.
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‎The commitment was reinforced during a series of familiarization visits by the Acting Area Controller of the Command, Deputy Comptroller Dr Nkiru Nwala to the leadership of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Nigerian Correctional Service and the Department of State Services (DSS) on Tuesday, October 13, 2026.
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‎During the visits, Nwala held discussions with the NSCDC Commandant, C. E. Okarazu; the Controller of Corrections, Nigerian Correctional Service, Aniekan Archibong Nya; and the State Director of the DSS, Dr Faluyi Oluwole.
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‎The engagements provided an opportunity to strengthen existing institutional relationships, establish direct communication channels and explore practical ways to improve cooperation among the agencies following Nwala’s assumption of duty.
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‎The Acting Area Controller emphasised the importance of sustained collaboration among security and law enforcement agencies in tackling common security threats, promoting compliance with relevant laws and protecting the nation’s economic and security interests.
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‎The visits emphasised the importance of intelligence sharing and coordinated operations in tackling security threats, safeguarding national assets and facilitating legitimate trade.
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‎The Command noted that stronger partnerships among the agencies would enhance operational coordination, support the enforcement of relevant laws and contribute to the protection of critical national assets and infrastructure.
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‎The initiative aligns with the Comptroller-General of Customs’ strategic mantra of Consolidation, Innovation and Collaboration, which prioritises strengthening existing partnerships, embracing innovative approaches to operational challenges and promoting effective cooperation among relevant institutions.
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‎The Command reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with sister security agencies to strengthen national security, facilitate legitimate trade and advance the broader objectives of national development.

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Headlines

NIMASA yields to massive demand for participation in Blue Economy Hackathon, opens competition to all Nigerians, removes age barrier

Funso OLOJO, Editor 

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has removed the age restriction for participation in its 2026 National Innovation Hackathon under the NIMASA Blue Economy Accelerator Programme (NIMASA-BEAP), opening the initiative to a wider pool of Nigerian innovators following growing public demand.

Under the revised eligibility criteria, Nigerians aged 18 and above can now apply, regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion or educational background.

The agency said the decision was taken in response to widespread calls from Nigerians seeking to participate in the initiative, which aims to identify, nurture and commercialise innovative solutions to challenges and emerging opportunities in the country’s maritime and blue economy.

The NIMASA-BEAP application portal opened on Monday, October 5, 2026, with applications free of charge.

NIMASA is urging innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers, software developers, engineers, artisans, graduates and students with promising ideas to take advantage of the opportunity and submit their applications before the deadline.

Scheduled for December 8–10, 2026, the National Innovation Hackathon will focus on developing practical, technology-driven and commercially viable solutions across 13 innovation tracks covering different segments of the maritime and blue economy.

The tracks include maritime technology and logistics; maritime safety, surveillance and security; green shipping and vessel decarbonisation; seafarer welfare; port digitisation and marine waste management

Other areas are aquaculture and sustainable fisheries; coastal and artisanal fishing; ocean data and analytics; nature-based coastal defence; marine tourism; marine biotechnology; and deep seabed mining technologies and research.

Beyond the hackathon, successful innovators will have the opportunity to advance to the 12-week NIMASA-BEAP Accelerator Programme, scheduled to run from January to April 2027.

Participants selected for the accelerator will receive structured mentorship, industry exposure and venture-development support to help transform their ideas into viable businesses and scalable solutions.

The programme will culminate in a National Demo Day in April 2027, where participating innovators will have opportunities to engage with investors, industry partners, prospective customers and other stakeholders capable of supporting the development and commercialisation of their solutions.

NIMASA-BEAP is designed to go beyond a conventional innovation competition by establishing a national pipeline for identifying promising Nigerian ideas, developing them into market-ready ventures and connecting them with opportunities across the marine and blue economy.

The programme is expected to encourage local innovation, strengthen entrepreneurship and expand participation in a sector with significant potential for investment, employment generation and economic diversification.

With the removal of the age restriction, NIMASA is encouraging Nigerians with innovative ideas capable of addressing maritime and blue economy challenges to seize the opportunity to contribute to the development of the sector.

Applications close on Friday, November 13, 2026.

Interested applicants can register free of charge through the official NIMASA-BEAP portal: https://nbeap.nimasa.gov.ng/.

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