By Sandra Chukwunyere
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) have reaffirmed their commitment to working more closely to improve maritime safety, strengthen marine casualty investigations and enhance safety standards across Nigeria’s maritime sector.
The renewed commitment was made when the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, received the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the NSIB, Captain Alex Sabundu Badeh Jnr., during a courtesy visit to the agency’s headquarters in Lagos.
Speaking during the meeting, Dr. Mobereola said collaboration between both agencies is critical to building a safer and more efficient maritime industry.
He noted that NIMASA recognises the strategic role of the NSIB in promoting transportation safety and expressed the agency’s readiness to deepen cooperation in areas that will strengthen Nigeria’s maritime safety architecture.
According to him, ensuring safety and security within the nation’s maritime domain requires strong institutions, sustained collaboration and practical frameworks that deliver measurable results.
He said both agencies share the responsibility of ensuring that Nigeria’s maritime industry operates in line with international best practices while protecting lives, vessels and the marine environment.
Dr. Mobereola added that the initiative aligns with the vision of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, CON, whose emphasis on inter-agency collaboration continues to drive the successful implementation of the Federal Government’s Marine and Blue Economy agenda.
On his part, Captain Badeh described the partnership between NIMASA and the NSIB as vital to improving transportation safety and preventing future marine accidents.
He explained that although both organisations have separate statutory responsibilities, they share the common objective of safeguarding lives, property and the marine environment.
He stressed that closer cooperation in information sharing, technical support, emergency response coordination and implementation of safety recommendations would significantly improve marine casualty investigations and strengthen preventive measures across the maritime industry.
Captain Badeh identified key areas of collaboration to include marine casualty notification, preservation of evidence, capacity building, technical assistance and the implementation of safety recommendations.
He added that a formal partnership would further strengthen Nigeria’s compliance with international maritime conventions and global safety standards.
To give effect to the partnership, 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 information sharing, marine casualty investigations, capacity development and the implementation of safety recommendations.
The partnership is expected to provide a structured framework for institutional cooperation, reinforce Nigeria’s compliance with international maritime obligations and further strengthen the country’s maritime safety regime.
According to a statement signed by Osagie Edward, FNIPR, Deputy Director and Head of Public Relations, NIMASA, the agency remains committed to strategic collaboration with relevant national and international stakeholders as part of efforts to enhance maritime safety and security, improve regulatory efficiency and support the Federal Government’s vision of building a globally competitive and sustainable Blue Economy.
