The Provisionary Committee of the proposed Nigerian Coast Guard (PC-NCG) has reiterated that establishing
Nigerian Coast Guard would improve maritime security and curb piracy and enhance trade, leading to increased revenue from oil, gas, fisheries, and other maritime resources, potentially generating N90 trillion annually.
Chief Executive/Accounting Officer of the PC-NCG, Capt. Noah Ichaba, in a statement issued by his Director of Communications & Public Affairs, Dr. Piriye Kiyaramo, on Monday in Abuja, emphasized that Coast Guard was crucial for tapping Nigeria’s maritime potential and addressing the challenges in the blue economy, informing that effective management and regulation of Nigeria’s vast maritime territory would be key to unlocking this revenue.
The PC-NCG boss furrher appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, his Vice, the Senate President, and stakeholders to swiftly facilitate the establishment of the Nigerian Coast Guard, citing the vision outlined at
the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) SEC 47 and the report’s recommendations where participants called for decisive action to tap Nigeria’s blue economy potential.
Capt. Ichaba pointed out that by creating a safer, secure and properly regulated environment that could stop existing economic leakages, wastages and disadvantages associated with the nation’s revenue from the marine and blue economy sectors, the country will improve on its maritime earnings better, saying that narrowed, informal and fragmented engagements in the maritime sector may rather be counterproductive.
The PC-NCG boss believes that, by carrying out its duty of enforcement of maritime laws and performing other array of responsibilities, Nigerian Coast Guard will effectively optimize revenue from the maritime sector and its sub-entities.
“The optimization of revenue and operations that will be involved will enhance safety, security and other scenarios that will attract better shipping businesses, curbing illicit activities and fostering the growth of the marine and blue economy as well as its sub-sectors. Doing better will entail plugging revenue drips, depletions, drawbacks, and fighting illegal activities in all maritime and blue economy revenue generating sectors and subsectors.
“It will also be by preventing smuggling and piracy through enforcement of maritime laws; which will stop loss of billions of Naira in customs duties due to smuggling and piracy. In addition, it will be by enforcing the Cabotage Act to prevent illegal trading by foreign vessels in Nigerian waters and by keeping revenue within the local economy. It will be by combating illegal and overfishing to protect the sector against such practices to ensure that the maritime sector is taxed effectively and fairly.
“With a dedicated Nigerian Coast Guard, securing the oil & gas sector which is of paramount importance, becomes easier, and that will be done by protecting infrastructures, oil rigs and installations, and such others, thereby ensuring steady oil production, which is a major revenue source. Nigerian Coast Guard will effectively reduce theft by patrolling inland waterways and coastlines to curb crude oil theft, among other vices.
“Leveraging on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s dedicated support to the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies for providing the vision and foresight behind the Senior Executive Course 47 of 2025, when he unveiled the course theme: “Blue Economy and Sustainable Development in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges and Opportunities.
“With the work, report, and recommendations submitted to the Federal Government, we once again call on Mr. President, Mr. Vice President, Mr. Senate President, Members of the Federal Executive Council, Parley Report Committee, lecturers of NIPSS, resource persons on the course theme for SEC 47 of 2025, all internal and external stakeholders in the marine and blue economy, advocates of coastal communities developments and all those involved in Nigeria’s maritime domain to demonstrate strong and genuine love for Nigeria by ensuring that the announcement of the establishment of the Nigerian Coast Guard is made by Mr. President without further hesitation.
“This pertinent call is a further reminder to the Federal Government for her commitment to converting Nigeria’s maritime potential into a major driver of economic diversification, job creation and long-term prosperity via planned discipline and intentional policy refinement that is sure to enable the proposed agency optimize the nation’s revenue derived from the maritime sector.
“Given the current situation, the Council, Management Body and Members of Directing Staff of Nigerian Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), had showed that they are a high performing team, having outperformed average expectation by delivering superior results through the elite team of 96 participants of the Senior Executive Course 47 of 2025, whose work, report and recommendations showed their high talent density, result driven-focus and collaborative synergy, as indicated by the report they turned in, which reveals Nigeria’s greatest chances of revenue boom from marine and blue economy sector and its auxiliaries bodies.
“With these glaring realities regarding capacity and capability for revenue optimization by the Nigerian Coast Guard, when created, there is no need for any form of delay in establishing the proposed agency at this crucial point in the nation’s life”, Capt. Ichaba maintained.
