The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) says the effectiveness of its Deep Blue Project has ensured zero piracy incidents on the nation’s maritime space thus exiting Nigeria out the international piracy hotlist.

NIMASA’s Director General, Dayo Mobereola, PhD stated this on Thursday, June 6, 2024 during the 2024 graduation ceremony of the Advanced Combat Training Program for the Maritime Unit, Deep Blue Project, held at the 5 Battalion, Nigerian Army Barracks, Elele Community, Rivers State.

He stated that, so far, Nigeria has recorded zero piracy incident in 24 months and is no longer in the War Risk Insurance (WRI) just as the United Nations (UN) awarded a larger continental shelf to Nigeria.

Checks by Kristina Reports indicate that the War Risk Insurance (WRI) imposed higher insurance rates to vessels coming to Nigeria’s continental area.

“As today, Nigeria is no longer in the piracy hotlist of the international federation, our significance is the zero piracy incidents in our waters for the last two years”.

Mobereola highlighted the project’s success in achieving a piracy-free status for Nigeria over the past two years, attributing it to the concerted efforts of the Deep Blue Project and NIMASA’s enhanced enforcement capabilities.

According to him, the Deep Blue Project, headquartered in Rivers State, was established to oversee and safeguard Nigeria’s maritime and coastal resources, adding that its objectives aim to ensure safety and security within the Nigerian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and bolster the nation’s economy.

He said such feat was very remarkable because of the huge impact in the economy especially the push for a deepened blue economy, stressing that the task of winning back the confidence of the international maritime community.

Mobereola explained that the Minister of Defence and that of the Blue Economy have worked to sustain the new rating of Nigeria, disclosing that the country was blacklisted some years ago and a WRI status was slammed on Nigeria due to frequent attacks on vessels headed to Nigeria.

He averred that the Federal Government through NIMASA came up with the Deep Blue Project which created a command from the Navy, Air Force, Army, and the Police with special equipment and specialized training by foreign security experts to confront the seas and territorial waters, adding that this has led to appreciable gains such as zero incidence rating and removal of Nigeria out of the risk zones.

On his part, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola expressed his commitment to sustaining the gains of the Deep Blue Project, with a view to ensuring maximum security of the country’s maritime domain.

Congratulating the 2024 graduates of the Advanced Combat Training programme of the Maritime Security Unit under the Deep Blue Project, Oyetola promised to sustain zero piracy incidence in Nigerian waters with the combined effort of all key players, commending the NIMASA Director General for carrying on from where his predecessor left off.

“Since the full deployment of the Deep Blue platforms and assets in 2021 within the Nigerian Continental Shelf, maritime security has been significantly enhanced.

“The project has contributed immensely to the significant reduction in piracy and other maritime crimes, thus enhancing safety and security in Nigerian waters.

“Sequel to this, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has removed Nigeria from the Piracy Hot List. The achievement of zero piracy incidence in Nigerian waters since 2022 is quite commendable and we are committed to sustaining this with the combined effort of all key players. 

“It is to be noted that the United Nations Security Council, at its 905th meeting, acknowledged the progress made by Nigeria in maritime security concerning the contributions of the Deep Blue Project.”

Highpoint of the event were technical presentations, certificate awards, and exhibitions, underscoring the importance of collaboration in further expanding the project’s reach and impact.

The Ministers of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, alongside his Defence Ministry counterpart, Mohammed Badaru, also inaugurated the Armoured Vehicle workshop in Elele, Rivers State, as well as inspected the sensitive workshop, armoured vehicles, two helicopters, etc.