The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) have agreed to deepen inter-agency collaboration to enhance maritime safety, strengthen marine casualty investigations and improve Nigeria’s compliance with international maritime standards.
The commitment was made 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, Mobereola underscored the strategic role of the NSIB in promoting transportation safety, stressing that stronger institutional collaboration is essential to safeguarding Nigeria’s maritime domain.
“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”, he said.
Mobereola noted that the collaboration aligns with the vision of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, whose emphasis on inter-agency cooperation continues to advance the Federal Government’s Marine and Blue Economy agenda.
Earlier, the NSIB Director-General, Captain Badeh, described the partnership as critical to improving transportation safety and preventing future marine accidents.
According to him, although both agencies have distinct statutory mandates, they share the common responsibility 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, 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 stated.
He identified key areas of collaboration to include marine casualty notification, emergency response coordination, preservation of evidence, information sharing, technical support, capacity building and the implementation of safety recommendations.
He added that a formal partnership would further strengthen Nigeria’s compliance with international maritime conventions.
As part of the resolutions reached, 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 institutionalise cooperation between the two agencies, reinforce Nigeria’s maritime safety regime and further improve compliance with global maritime obligations.
NIMASA reiterated that strategic collaboration remains central to its mandate, noting that partnerships with national and international stakeholders are critical to enhancing maritime safety and security, improving regulatory efficiency and supporting the Federal Government’s vision of a globally competitive and sustainable Blue Economy.