The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) have reaffirmed their commitment to forging a stronger partnership aimed at enhancing maritime safety, security and marine casualty investigations across Nigeria.
The commitment was reaffirmed when the Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, received the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the NSIB, Captain Alex Sabundu Badeh Jnr., during a courtesy visit to the agency’s headquarters in Lagos.
Speaking during the meeting, Dr. Mobereola said NIMASA recognises the strategic role of the NSIB in promoting transportation safety, stressing that stronger institutional collaboration is essential to advancing maritime safety and security in Nigeria.
According to him, strengthening safety within Nigeria’s maritime domain requires sustained commitment, practical collaboration and effective frameworks capable of delivering long-term results.
“NIMASA understands the critical role of the NSIB in promoting transportation safety. Strengthening safety and security within our maritime domain requires commitment, collaboration and practical frameworks that deliver sustainable results.
“Our shared responsibility is to build a maritime sector that operates on global best practices while protecting lives, vessels and the marine environment. Ultimately, our collective goal is to contribute to making Nigeria greater through stronger institutions and effective inter-agency cooperation.
“We are committed to working closely with the NSIB as a sister agency to build a partnership that will strengthen the nation’s maritime safety architecture and deliver lasting value to the industry,” Mobereola said.
He added that the initiative aligns with the vision of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, whose emphasis on collaboration continues to strengthen the implementation of the Federal Government’s Marine and Blue Economy agenda.
Earlier, NSIB Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Captain Alex Sabundu Badeh Jnr., described collaboration between both agencies as critical to improving transportation safety and preventing future marine casualties.
He noted that although both organisations have separate statutory mandates, they share the common objective of protecting lives, property and the marine environment through effective safety systems.
“Our mandates are different, but our destination is the same—a safer and more resilient maritime sector for Nigeria. Safety is most effective when institutions work together by sharing information, expertise and best practices.
“A stronger partnership between the NSIB and NIMASA will enhance marine casualty investigations, strengthen preventive measures and ensure that lessons learned translate into safer operations across the maritime industry,” Badeh said.
He identified key areas of collaboration to include marine casualty notification, emergency response coordination, preservation of evidence, information sharing, technical support, capacity building and implementation of safety recommendations.
According to him, a formal partnership would further strengthen Nigeria’s compliance with international maritime safety standards.
To advance the collaboration, both agencies agreed to immediately establish technical committees to develop the framework for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and draft the Terms of Reference that will guide cooperation in information sharing, marine casualty investigations, capacity development and implementation of safety recommendations.
The partnership is expected to establish a structured framework for institutional cooperation, reinforce Nigeria’s compliance with international maritime obligations and further strengthen the country’s maritime safety regime.
NIMASA said it remains committed to strategic collaboration as a cornerstone of its operations, leveraging partnerships with national and international stakeholders to enhance maritime safety and security, improve regulatory efficiency and support the Federal Government’s vision of building a globally competitive and sustainable Blue Economy.
