The Provisionary Committee of the proposed Nigerian Coast Guard, PC-NCG, has affirmed that Coast Guards are not designed to rely solely on government allocation. They are structured to access diverse, maritime-linked revenue streams.
This is contained in a press statement issued by the Director of Communications & Public Affairs, Dr. Piriye Kiyaramo, quoting the Chief Executive and Accounting Officer of PC-NCG, Capt. Noah Ichaba.
“The reality is that well-established national and international revenue windows already exist for Coast Guard institutions worldwide. These include domestic revenue frameworks, international maritime security funds, technical assistance programmes, trust funds, grants, and strategic security partnerships,” Capt. Ichaba stated.
He noted that across the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa, the Indian Ocean, and the Red Sea, maritime law enforcement agencies operate under proven funding models.
“These models finance coastal security, maritime safety, anti-piracy operations, environmental protection, economic asset protection, and maritime sovereignty. This proves a key point: A properly structured Coast Guard is not just a security institution. It is a strategic national asset that draws, generates, protects, and sustains economic value without becoming a financial burden on government.”
Referencing PC-NCG findings, Capt. Ichaba said Nigeria already has maritime-linked revenue streams that can support a Coast Guard. “The institution is built for self-sustaining finance, not sole dependence on budgetary allocation.”
Globally, Coast Guard funding flows through categorized windows including: Maritime Security, Capacity Building, Counter-Piracy, Port Security, Maritime Domain Awareness, Blue Economy Security, Search & Rescue, Technical Cooperation, and Law Enforcement Capacity Building.
Other international funding mechanisms include:
International Maritime Organization – IMO Trust Funds: International Maritime Security Trust Fund, IMST; West and Central Africa Maritime Security Trust Fund, WCA; IMO Djibouti Code of Conduct Trust Fund; International Search and Rescue, SAR Fund.
“Regional Programmes include: Regional Programme for Maritime Security in the Red Sea; SMART-C Maritime Security and Counter-Piracy Programme, Bilateral & Multilateral Support: Canadian Coast Guard International Maritime Security Capacity Building Project; Bilateral Maritime Security Assistance; Port Security Grant Programme, PSGP; World Bank Blue Economy Programmes; African Development Bank, AfDB; and UNDP Maritime Governance Support.
“For Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea, maritime security is not underfunded. It is one of the most strategically financed maritime regions globally, driven by piracy, oil and gas infrastructure protection, illegal fishing, trafficking, offshore assets, and international shipping interests. PC-NCG disproves the ‘funding crisis’ narrative,” Capt. Ichaba said.
He added that generous international donors are more willing to support established Coast Guard institutions, legally recognized maritime security frameworks, government-backed maritime agencies, and regional cooperation structures.
“This is why many coastal nations establish dedicated Coast Guards: to access grants, technical assistance, equipment donations, training support, operational partnerships, and international maritime security funding. Without a recognized institutional framework, accessing these funding streams becomes much more difficult. That is a fundamental reason there should be no delay in establishing the Nigerian Coast Guard,” the statement concluded.
