Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) on Thursday graduated 492 personnel under the Deep Blue Project (DBP) to further strengthen the country’s maritime security architecture.
Unveiling the graduates in their tactical attire at the Elele military barracks, Port Harcourt, the Director General of the agency, Dr Dayo Mobereola, explained that the occasion gave NIMASA a sense of fulfilment and accomplishment in its task to ensure Nigeria’s maritime domain is secured.
According to him, the 492 graduating deep blue personnel underwent specialised training conducted across several strategic training locations across the world, including Italy, Switzerland, Australia, Syria and Nigeria.
Mobereola noted that the training had exposed the personnel, taken from across different units of the Deep Blue project, to global best practices and international operational standards in maritime security operations.
He added: “Today’s event is a demonstration of operational readiness, institutional resilience and Nigeria’s determination to maintain a safe, secure and economically viable maritime environment.
“Many people are not fully aware of the level of operations and integration, and technological capacity that supports these achievements.
“The Deep Blue architecture integrates two special mission aircraft equipped with advanced maritime surveillance sensors, three special mission helicopters for over-the-sea operations and surveillance, two special mission vessels for deep-sea operations, eight unmanned aerial vehicles for real-time intelligence gathering, 16 fast interception boats for rapid tactical response and 15 armed coastal patrol vessels.
”The Command, Control, Communication, Computer and Intelligence Centre, the C4I, serves as the central coordination hub for military domain awareness and operational response. As many of you may recall, the Gulf of Guinea was once regarded as one of the most challenging military maritime regions in the world due to incidents of piracy and robbery.
Today, through the Deep Blue project and the collective efforts of all stakeholders, we are proud to say that Nigeria has transformed the narrative, which has resulted in zero piracy incidents since 2022. This has restored trust among global shipping operators, investors, and maritime stakeholders.”
Mobereola expressed appreciation to the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adeboyega Oyetola, for his exemplary leadership, strategic guidance, and steadfast commitment to promoting maritime security initiatives in Nigeria.
Also acknowledged the role and commended the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa and the Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Matawale, for their continued support and commitment towards strengthening national security and enhancing interagency cooperation in the maritime domain.
Mobereola commended the Nigerian Navy, Air Force, Army, the Nigerian Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS) and all security and intelligence agencies whose professionalism and cooperation continue to strengthen the operational success of the Deep Blue project.
He made special mention of Deep Blue project technical partner, HLSI, Security Systems Technologies Limited, for their invaluable support, technical expertise, commitment to capacity development, and strategic partnership in the implementation and sustainability of the Deep Blue project.
To the security personnel, he noted that the strength they received came with enormous responsibility as they were expected to uphold high standards of professionalism, discipline, integrity, and the discharge of their duties.
Also, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr Adegboyega Oyetola, praised NIMASA for its foresight and sustained commitment to building institutional capacity under the Deep Blue Project.
He said, “I wish to appreciate the Armed Forces, security agencies, training partners, and all stakeholders whose collaboration has contributed immensely to the success of this initiative.
“The Federal Government, under the leadership of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, remains fully committed to enhancing maritime security as a critical enabler of economic growth, trade facilitation, investment, and national development. A secure maritime environment is indispensable to unlocking the enormous opportunities embedded within Nigeria’s blue economy.”
