By Promise Ekezie
The Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) are reinforcing partnership towards safeguarding the nation’s waterways upon which Nigeria’s blue economy can flourish, drive economic growth and create jobs for long-term prosperity.
This was the focus of engagement over the weekend when the Director-General of NIMASA, Dr Dayo Mobereola, paid a courtesy visit to the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, at the NAF’s Headquarters Force, in Abuja.
Speaking during the visit, Mobereola reaffirmed that maritime security remains fundamental to economic stability, international trade and sustained investor confidence.
He noted the long-term trend of zero piracy incidents within the nation’s territorial waters over the last four years, and described the milestone as a “testament to the professionalism and coordinated efforts of the Armed Forces of Nigeria and other security agencies”.
“This achievement has significantly strengthened Nigeria’s standing in the global maritime community and created a safer environment for commerce to thrive,” he said.
The Director-General further noted that the growing volume of maritime traffic across Nigeria’s coastal and inland waterways demands sustained vigilance, advanced surveillance and rapid response capabilities.
He emphasised that strengthened partnership with the Nigerian Air Force would ensure continuous aerial oversight, timely intelligence sharing and proactive deterrence, all of which are critical to protecting maritime assets and unlocking the full potential of the nation’s blue economy.
Responding, the air chief assured the NIMASA DG of the NAF’s unwavering commitment to enhanced operational synergy.
Aneke outlined the NAF’s robust capabilities tailored to maritime roles, including long-range surveillance aircraft, maritime patrol-configured platforms, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, and rapid-response air assets capable of swift deployment across coastal corridors.
He stressed ed that those platforms provide real-time situational awareness, precision tracking and coordinated response options essential for securing sea lines of communication and critical offshore infrastructure.
Aneke further stressed that the integration of advanced sensors, data-link systems and inter-agency communication frameworks enables seamless information flow and operational coordination.
“Air power remains a decisive force multiplier in maritime security operations, offering speed, flexibility and reach that significantly enhance deterrence and enforcement capabilities in support of the Deep Blue Project,” he said.
