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Nigeria looks to benefit from seabed mining

Written by Nick Blenkey
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Dr. Dakuku Peterside, Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA

AUGUST 10, 2017 — By working with the International Seabed Authority (ISBA), Nigeria is set to benefit from deep sea mining, said Dr. Dakuku Peterside, Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), speaking at the opening ceremony of the 23rd Assembly of the International Seabed Authority (ISBA) held in Kingston, Jamaica.

Dr. Peterside who led the Nigerian Delegation to the event commended ISBA on its role in the optimal utilization of seabed resources.

Dr. Peterside said the Nigerian Federal Government is currently developing policies that will aid the harnessing of seabed resources and will be working closely with the ISBA.

“The Nigerian Federal Ministry of Transportation is developing a country ‘blue economy’ policy and strategy which will incorporate the sustainable development of the country’s deep seabed resources,” he said.

The Nigerian Navy Hydrographic office has been undertaking hydrographic survey and charting of the country’s maritime area, while NIMASA is working with the navy to effectively enforce the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and other relevant international maritime instruments around Nigeria’s continental shelf.

Dr. Peterside also noted that, while seeking exploitation of the mineral resources within the seabed off its national maritime jurisdiction, Nigeria will continue to give top priority to marine environment preservation and protection.

The International Seabed Authority is an autonomous international organization established under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 1994 agreement relating to the Implementation of Part XI of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. It came into existence in 1994 upon the entry into force of the 1982 Convention. It has 168 member countries of which Nigeria is one.

 

 

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