By Chuks Oyema-Aziken
The Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dayo Mobereola, has reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) in a renewed push to secure Nigeria’s Deep Blue Economy.
Mobereola made this known during a strategic visit to the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, at the NAF Headquarters in Abuja. The meeting underscored the growing synergy between maritime and air security components in safeguarding Nigeria’s territorial waters and critical offshore assets.
Details of the engagement were contained in a statement issued by Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, Director of Public Relations and Information, Headquarters Nigerian Air Force.
According to the statement, discussions centered on consolidating operational cooperation to enhance maritime domain awareness and support the Federal Government’s blue economy agenda.
Mobereola noted that maritime security remains vital to Nigeria’s economic stability, global trade reputation and investor confidence. He highlighted the country’s sustained record of zero piracy incidents within its territorial waters over the last four years, describing the feat as evidence of effective inter-agency collaboration among the Armed Forces and other security stakeholders.
He added that the achievement has significantly strengthened Nigeria’s standing within the international maritime community and fostered a more secure environment for commercial activities.
The NIMASA boss, however, emphasized that the steady rise in maritime traffic across Nigeria’s coastal and inland waterways demands continuous surveillance, intelligence coordination and rapid-response capability. He stressed that deeper collaboration with the Air Force would ensure consistent aerial monitoring and proactive deterrence measures.
In his remarks, Air Marshal Aneke reiterated the NAF’s readiness to sustain and expand its maritime support operations. He outlined the Air Force’s capabilities, including long-range surveillance aircraft, maritime patrol platforms, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and rapid-response air assets strategically positioned for coastal operations.
The Air Chief explained that these assets provide real-time situational awareness, precision tracking and coordinated intervention, which are critical to protecting sea lines of communication and offshore infrastructure.
He further highlighted the integration of advanced sensor systems, data-link technology and inter-agency communication frameworks, noting that efficient information sharing remains central to successful maritime security operations.
“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.
The renewed engagement between NIMASA and the Nigerian Air Force signals a shared determination to fortify Nigeria’s maritime security architecture and lay a stronger foundation for sustainable economic growth under the nation’s blue economy initiative.
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