NIMASA’s Next Chapter: From Security Wins to Systemic Reform

By Lod Onyeji

Four years without a single reported piracy incident. Re-election to the International Maritime Organization’s Category C council after a 14-year gap. The lifting of a 12-year U.S. Coast Guard Condition of Entry on Nigerian vessels. 

For the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, the last few years have been a turnaround. Now, Director General Dr. Dayo Mobereola is telling his senior team: don’t celebrate too long. At a two-day Senior Management Strategy Session in Lagos this week on NIMASA’s Medium-Term Strategic Plan, 2025-2028, Mobereola challenged management to convert those hard-won gains into institutional performance. The message was direct: security restored, now build systems that last.

The data behind the momentum and the numbers which give weight to the DG’s call are; 

Security,  since 2022, the Gulf of Guinea recorded zero successful piracy attacks in Nigerian waters, according to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre. That followed 62 incidents in 2020 alone. The drop correlates with NIMASA’s Deep Blue Project, increased naval patrols, and better inter-agency coordination.  

Global standing: Nigeria’s return to IMO Category C in 2023 ended a 14-year absence and restored voting influence on global shipping standards. Months later, the U.S. Coast Guard lifted the CoE imposed since 2012, a move that immediately reduced insurance premiums and port delays for Nigerian-flagged vessels trading with the U.S.  

Market dominance: Nigeria now accounts for over 47% of all port calls in the Gulf of Guinea, per regional port authority data. That makes Lagos, Onne, and Warri the de-facto hub for West and Central African trade. With that volume comes responsibility — for safety, efficiency, and regulation.

These are not cosmetic wins. They are empirical proof that coordinated policy, under the supervision of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola, can shift a sector’s trajectory.

Why NIMASA Must Lead the Next Phase according to Mobereola’s argument at the Apapa strategy session was that NIMASA can no longer be just a security and compliance agency. It must become a performance-driven regulator and development institution.

“Sustaining and building on these gains requires a more disciplined, performance-driven approach,” he told senior staff. “The decisions we take here will not only shape our internal processes but also impact the broader trajectory of Nigeria’s maritime sector.”

That framing is appropriate, and here’s why the data available supports it:

1. Automation drives compliance: NIMASA cited the automation of the Ship Registry and workflow systems as key reforms. Evidence from IMO member states shows that digitized registries cut vessel registration times by 40-60% and reduce fraud. For a country  managing a growing fleet and 47% of Gulf traffic, speed and transparency are competitive advantages.

2. Human capital standards matter: The ongoing review of STCW, the international convention on seafarer training, positions Nigeria to export certified seafarers. The Philippines supplies 25% of the world’s seafarers and earns over $6 billion annually in remittances. With Nigeria’s population and coastal exposure, a similar pathway is feasible if standards are enforced.

3. Access to capital unlocks growth: The disbursement of the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund, long stalled, signals NIMASA’s shift from regulator to enabler. Studies by the African Development Bank show that access to vessel financing can increase indigenous fleet capacity by 30% within 5 years, reducing freight costs and retaining forex.

Mobereola urged staff to be “sincere in discussing current realities, focused in prioritizing areas that truly move the needle, and accountable” with clear ownership and timelines. That is exactly the governance model required when an agency moves from crisis response to strategic management.

“This is a good place for constructive engagement where ideas can be challenged, refined, and transformed into actionable strategies,” he said. “The strength of this Agency lies in our collective expertise, and we must leverage that fully.”

NIMASA is the right institution for this role, to structurally lead the way of the right agency in the right direction. Its statutory mandate already covers safety, shipping development, and maritime regulation. The recent reforms — registry automation, CoE removal, IMO re-entry — show it can execute when given clear targets.  

More importantly, the global trend is for maritime administrations to integrate safety, economic development, and digital governance under one roof. Singapore’s MPA and the UK’s MCA both combine regulatory oversight with industry development and have become benchmarks for efficiency and transparency.

For Nigeria, with the largest maritime traffic in West Africa, a NIMASA that delivers efficient processes, transparent regulation, and measurable outcomes is not optional. It is the foundation for capturing more value from the blue economy.

The DG was clear about the test ahead “We are not merely improving processes; we are building a new foundation for efficiency, transparency, innovation and international recognition.”

That foundation will be judged on metrics, not speeches. Can NIMASA reduce vessel turnaround time? Can it increase the share of Nigerian-owned vessels in cabotage trade? Can it produce IMO-compliant seafarers at scale? 

The 2025-2028 Strategic Plan is the instrument to answer those questions. If the management team follows through on Mobereola’s charge — discipline, prioritization, accountability — NIMASA will move from restoring order to setting standards.

In a region where 90% of trade moves by sea, that is the difference between being a transit point and being a maritime power.