The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside has assured stakeholders that Nigeria will soon benefit from deep sea mining, by working with the International Seabed Authority.
Dakuku indicated this at the opening ceremony of the 23rd Assembly of the International Seabed Authority (ISBA) held in Kingston, Jamaica, stressing that the nation, irrespective of its numerous resources, would now work more closely with the ISBA in the area of seabed resources exploration.
Dr. Peterside who led the Nigerian Delegation to the event commended ISBA on its role in the optimal utilization of seabed resources among maritime stakeholders and solicited for assistance in the area of capacity building to survey deep sea and establish data base of mineral resources available for the benefit of all mankind.
He highlighted that the Federal Government was currently developing policies that will aid the harnessing of seabed resources and as such his agency will continue to work 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”, observed Dr. Peterside, stressing that in the moment, since the Nigerian Navy Hydrographic office has been undertaking hydrographic survey and the charting of our maritime area, the NIMASA in complementary role will continue its collaboration with the Nigerian Navy to effectively enforce the United Nations Convention on the law of the sea, and other relevant international maritime instruments, to which Nigerians are a party to, within its continental shelf.
He congratulated Mr. Michael Lodge of the United Kingdom on his appointment as Secretary General of ISBA Council and Eugenio Joao Muianga of Mozambique on his election as President of the Authority’s 23rd session, highlighting AFRICA’S pride of the feat of Eugenio Joao Muianga and pledged that Nigeria will cooperate with and support the work of the Authority while looking forward to benefiting from available opportunities.
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.
The Authority, which has its headquarters in Kingston, Jamaica, came into existence on 16 November 1994, upon the entry into force of the 1982 Convention and as at July 25, 2016 has 168 member countries of which Nigeria is one.
