The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), on Tuesday, disclosed plans to review its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), with the Nigerian Navy on the $195m Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure project otherwise known as the Deep Blue project.

A frontline indigenous Shipowner and former president, Nigeria Shipowners Association (NISA), Aminu Umar, said due to insecurity in the Niger-Delta region, indigenous Shipowners engage private security guards on their vessels.

“Deep Blue Project have made an impact but today, no vessel can move from Lagos-down South without security guards. We need to see deep blue visibilities so that there can be confidence, so that our ships can see them and feel secure and we don’t need more Security guards when going down South the country,” Umar stated.

However, reacting to Umar, over poor visibility of the deep blue assets on the nation’s coastal water at the 2024 Stakeholders’ Engagement on enhanced activities in the Blue Economy sector, organised by the ministry, the DG of NIMASA, said the review of the MOU with the Nigerian Navy was to enhance the visibility of the deep blue assets on the nation’s waterways.

Dr Mobereola explained that talks will be held with the hierarchy of the Nigerian Navy to better improve the Deep Blue assets.

“Since my assumption as the DG of NIMASA, I have met with the Chief of Naval Staff three times on this particular Deep Blue project. I can assure you that very soon, we are going to have a new MoU that will make the Deep Blue project more impactful and visible.

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