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The Provisional Committee for the Establishment of the Nigerian Coast Guard – PC-NCG, has called on the 10th Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to conclude deliberations and pass the Nigerian Coast Guard Establishment Bill, currently at Third Reading.
In a statement issued on Monday in Abuja by the Director of Communication & Public Affairs, Dr. Piriye Kiyaramo, on behalf of the Chief Executive and Accounting Officer, Captain Noah Ichaba, the Committee maintained that Nigeria can no longer afford further delay in addressing critical gaps in maritime law enforcement and governance.
“Nigeria has gathered sufficient evidence to act. The absence of a dedicated Coast Guard has resulted in institutional gaps, overlapping mandates, fragmented funding, limited operational capacity, and a disjointed response to maritime threats,” Capt. Ichaba stated. “What is required now is the political will to move from recognition to resolution, and from debate to decision.”
As the upper chamber of the National Assembly, the Senate has a constitutional mandate to make laws for the peace, order, and good governance of Nigeria. In the maritime domain, this includes providing the legal and institutional framework required to secure Nigeria’s waters and unlock the economic potential of the ocean.
The passage of the Nigerian Coast Guard Bill is central to that mandate. A statutory Coast Guard will: Provide a dedicated, civilian-led agency for search and rescue, fisheries protection, pollution control, and law enforcement in Nigeria’s territorial waters and EEZ. Create a stable security environment for investment in shipping, ports, aquaculture, offshore energy, tourism, and coastal trade, key pillars of Nigeria’s Blue Economy agenda.
By protecting coastal communities and livelihoods the Coast Guard will strengthen response to piracy, illegal fishing, oil theft, and environmental degradation that directly impact over 30 million Nigerians living in coastal states. Clarify roles among maritime agencies, reduce duplication, and ensure efficient use of public resources. Enable sustainable exploitation of ocean resources that can contribute billions to GDP and create millions of direct and indirect jobs.
“The establishment of a Nigerian Coast Guard is not about institutional competition. It is about clarifying roles, improving coordination, protecting lives and property, securing coastal communities, and unlocking the full potential of Nigeria’s Blue Economy,” Capt. Ichaba said.
The Committee cautioned against further delays based on arguments that “Nigeria is different,” noting that such positions should not prevent Nigeria from adopting institutional structures proven to work in other maritime nations.
“The issue before us is no longer whether the need exists. The issue is whether this Senate will demonstrate the courage to translate established facts and national necessity into law,” the statement added.
PC-NCG emphasized that public office is a public trust. “True authority is measured by service, justice, and accountability, to the people, to history, and to God.”
The Committee urged Distinguished Senators to evaluate the Bill on its constitutional, operational, economic, security, and national-interest merits, and to bring it to a conclusive vote.
“Let the 10th Senate be remembered for choosing Nigeria at the moment Nigeria needed institutional courage,” Capt. Ichaba said.
PC-NCG also appealed to maritime stakeholders, government agencies, regulators, industry operators, coastal communities, labour, academia, and development partners to place Nigeria’s collective maritime interest above institutional rivalry.
The Provisional Committee for the Establishment of the Nigerian Coast Guard is tasked with driving advocacy, technical engagements, and stakeholder consultations toward the establishment of a statutory Nigerian Coast Guard to complement existing maritime security agencies and support the sustainable development of Nigeria’s Blue Economy.
