Nigeria Navy Hydrographic Office (2024)

A Nigerian Navy (NN) delegation represented by the Hydrographer of NN, R Adm AO Olugbode and R Adm AA Mustapha visited the Italian Navy Hydrography Institute (IIM) at Genoa Italy from Mon 13 – Thu 16 Nov 23.The visit tagged ‘Expert Meeting in the Field of Hydrography’ is one of the Activities contained in the Italian and Nigerian Armed Forces Bilateral Cooperation Plan signed in Rome on 9 November 2023. The major highlights of the engagement were bilateral discussions on the technical aspects of the cooperation, tour of facilities/archives and the drafting on a proposed MOU for a more robust cooperation for hydrographic capacity building. The proposed MOU is in tandem with NN’s commitment to fully operationalize the Nigerian Hydrographic Agency as well as Nigeria’s blue economy aspirations.

1.It is with great pleasure that I extend my warm and special greetings to everyone present today on the occasion of the 2022 World Hydrography Day Celebration in Nigeria. It is an established fact that the oceans are of immense importance both as a medium for global trade and a source of livelihood to mankind, as well as revenue generation for Governments. Hence the need to recognise and conserve the environment towards maximizing potentials thereof. The decision by the United Nations General Assembly to assent the adoption of 21st June of every year as the World Hydrography Day indicates global acknowledgement of the essential role hydrography plays for successful activities within the maritime domain.

2.In today’s globalized world, there is a growing concern for the future of oceans, particularly as it relates to health of its biodiversity. Studies have shown that tropical coral reefs may vanish by the turn of the century, and by 2050 there could be more plastics inside the ocean than fishes. Despite these looming dangers, there appear to be little or no effort at understanding the ocean environment to elicit appropriate actions to improve its health as national ocean research remains inadequately funded. These alarming statistics triggered United Nations action in December 2017, to declare the period from 2021 to 2030, as a decade of ocean science for sustainable development. This is aimed at leveraging ocean sciences at national and global levels, to drive actions and processes for reversing the decline in ocean health, while continuing to rely on the ocean for our ever-increasing needs.

3.To this end, ‘Hydrography’ stands out as the key driver of ocean science. It is pertinent to state that there will be no meaningful study of ocean parameters, if the ocean environment itself is not described accurately to enable scientists move safely to areas of interest. Additionally, hydrography directly contributes to identification of knowledge gaps in the ocean, which elicits appropriate government responses to fill gaps necessary to facilitate sustainable use of the ocean for the common good of mankind.

4.It is in this regard that I consider the selected theme for this year’s World Hydrography Day, which is “Hydrography: Contributing to the United Nations Ocean Decade”, quite apt. This is because, all over the world today, discussions will focus on various littoral governments’ efforts towards improving the health of our oceans, through appropriate hydrographic capacity development. In Nigeria, the Federal Government, under the visionary leadership of the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, has initiated actions towards identification of knowledge gaps in our ocean, through extensive hydrographic capacity development. Some of these actions include the establishment of a National Hydrographic Agency, which the Nigerian Navy is a critical component to provide the much-needed policy direction for synchronised hydrographic practices among stakeholders in the country. Furthermore, is the acquisition of a 60-meter offshore survey vessel; NNS LANA, to enable the Nigerian Navy collect relevant information about our ocean. I am glad to note that this action is already receiving global accolade, with NNS LANA, being awarded the “Best Large Research Vessel in the world for the Year 2022” by Baird Maritime.

5.The Government has also placed an order for delivery of a 35-meter hydrographic research vessel to work side-by-side NNS LANA towards actualizing objectives of the United Nation’s Decade of Ocean Science. This is in addition to procurement of modern survey equipment and increased tempo of human capacity development to improve Nigeria’s capacity for hydrographic surveying and charting. There are also renewed efforts to finalized process of extending Nigeria’s maritime space to the outer limits of its continental shelf, which will give the country sovereign rights and responsibility to study extensively the extended maritime area towards improving the well-being of Nigerians and prosperity of the Nation. Additionally, the Government has redoubled efforts to understand the nexus between maritime insecurity, crude oil theft and piracy, which provokes responses that made the International Maritime Organisation to redesignate Nigerian waters as piracy-free area earlier this year. There is no doubt that these and many other maritime initiatives aimed at improving marine conservation and to reduce marine pollution will be adequately supported by information generated from ongoing and future offshore surveys of Nigeria’s waters by the Nigerian Navy. I therefore, hope that today’s deliberations would not only outline current and ongoing contributions of hydrography to the United Nations Ocean Decade, but would also uncover future areas to be explored. This would go a long way to assist Nigeria emplace robust mechanisms to leverage United Nations Decade of Ocean Science initiative towards sustainability of Nigeria’s maritime environment.

6.On this note, distinguished invited guests, ladies, and gentlemen, it is my singular honour and privilege to declare the 2022 World Hydrography Day celebration in Nigeria open. I wish you happy celebrations. “Onward Together”.

1.I am delighted to be part of yet another edition of the World Hydrography Day Celebration in Nigeria. It would be recalled that the last gathering in this hall to celebrate World Hydrography Day was on 21 June 2019. Since then, we have not interacted and deliberated physically on this specialized discipline due to COVID - 19 pandemic. Therefore, I give glory to God Almighty for making it possible for us to engage one another once again.

2.Our Special Guest of Honour, distinguished guests, Nigeria joined the league of chart producing nations, when the first indigenous navigational chart was unveiled by the Nigerian Navy at the last World Hydrography Day. It is gladdening to note that barely 2 years down the line, 9 more navigational paper charts and 5 cells of Electronic Navigational Charts have been produced. Today, the Navy has achieved yet another milestone in developing hydrographic capacity, as its Hydrographic Office has commenced production of nautical publications. Accordingly, 2 publications, namely “Symbols and Abbreviations used on Nigeria’s Paper Charts” and “Rules of the Road” will be unveiled later during this event. Additionally, NNS LANA will unveil its maiden magazine; “the Gondola”, which chronicled activities from construction till date. These huge hydrographic capacity development efforts are coming at a time the world is focused on use of ocean sciences to achieve sustainable development.

3.Consequently, I consider the theme for 2022 World Hydrographic Day; which is “Hydrography: Contributing to the United Nations Ocean Decade” quite apt. This is due to the indispensability of hydrographic data in ocean scientific researches. Accordingly, we must appreciate our collective efforts towards the development of hydrography in Nigeria.

4.It is worthy of note that the Nigerian Navy recently commenced the first indigenous systematic survey of Nigeria’s coastal and offshore waters. This marked the beginning of systematic study of Nigeria’s waters and the campaign would be sustained until our entire offshore waters are completely surveyed. Pertinently, knowledge of the physical properties of the environment would be used, not only for nautical charts production, but also to aid Federal Government towards policy formulation that would reverse the cycle of decline in Nigeria’s ocean health. Furthermore, these hydrographic data would assist relevant agencies to delineate critical marine protected and potential deep sea mining areas. These would further position Nigeria on the right part towards improved national economic growth, developmentand security.

5.Our Special Guest of Honour, distinguished guests, let me state that Nigerian Navy would not have been able to attain this hydrographic capability without the support of the Federal Government. Therefore, please permit me to sincerely thank the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, for his continued support to the Nigerian Navy. I want to assure His Excellency, that the NN is determined to drive the national hydrographic capacity development in line with your next level agenda. I wish to also salute the visionary leadership of my boss, the HMoD and the CDS, which has focused the NN towards the accomplishment of statutory tasks. We are indeed grateful Sir. For the leadership and members of the National Assembly, I thank you for understanding the peculiar needs of the NN, which you have demonstrated time and again through timely appropriations.

6.At this juncture, I would like to acknowledge the encouraging synergy between the Navy and other maritime stakeholders in Hydrography, particularly the Ministry of Transportation. For members of the Nigerian Hydrographic Society and other maritime operators present here, your cooperation with the Nigerian Navy is held in high esteem and I urge you to leverage the successes so far achieved in hydrographic development in Nigeria.

7.On this note, our Special Guest of Honour, invited guests, ladies and gentlemen, I thank you all for being with us today to celebrate the 2022 World Hydrography Day in Nigeria. I wish you all fruitful deliberations during the plenary session. Onwards Together.

1.It is with great pleasure, that I welcome you all to the 2022 World Hydrography Day celebration in Nigeria. World Hydrography Day presents an opportunity, for stakeholders in hydrography, all over the world, to highlight the importance of hydrography, to the socio-economic development of both littoral and land-locked nations. In order to properly focus the attention of the world to the specific human life supported by hydrography, the International Hydrographic Organisation choses a theme for each year’s world hydrographic day celebration. Accordingly, the theme for the 2022 world hydrography day is, “Hydrography: Contributing to the United Nations Ocean Decade.”

2.This theme, seeks to outline the important role hydrography plays, and, will continue to play, as the world looks for solution, to the deteriorating health of its oceans, from 2021 to 2030. It is no longer news, that, the world’s oceans cover over 70 per cent of the earth’s surface, with nearly half of the world’s human population, living within 50 miles of a coast, and more than 3.5 billion people depend on the oceans for their primary source of food. The oceans of the world form the clouds that bring us rain, which replenish our freshwater supplies. It also regulates our climate, provides endless source of renewable energy, and revenue generation for nations. Above all, the oceans provide numerous medicinal and health benefits to us, as many bio-medical products, which we take, are derived from marine plant and animal sources within the oceans.

3.Despite these benefits, human activities are increasingly resulting to marine pollution, ocean acidification, overfishing and sea level rise among others, which directly impinge on the intricate workings, that keep the oceans and our planet, in a perfect symbiotic balance. This situation, prompted the United Nations in 2017, to declare the period from 2021 to 2030, as a Decade of Ocean Science, for Sustainable Development, in order to enable humanity, to rethink its relationship, with the world’s oceans. This is to be achieved, through the use of ocean sciences, to understand the severity of human activities, on the health of the oceans, in order to institute governance measures, that would ensure conservation, and sustainable use of the oceans.

4.In this regard, hydrography, as a branch of applied sciences, stands out as a major scientific tool, that offers indispensable knowledge, which mariners and policy makers, could leverage to ensure conservation and sustainable use of the oceans. If you look around you, almost everything that sustains human lives; whether goods, services or even production, is likely, to have been made available through the oceans. Ships, as we know, will be unable to safely sail, from one part of the ocean, to another without accurate and up-to-date hydrographic information. Furthermore, hydrography provides the basic information required for all forms of studies, engineering, regulatory framework, and management, within the oceans.

5.As we deliberate on the contributions of hydrography, towards the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans for the next decade, we need to ask ourselves, how much of hydrographic information is available to policy makers in Nigeria, to guide them in the governance of Nigeria’s territorial waters, as a part of the world’s oceans? How much of hydrographic information is available to maritime users in Nigeria to enable them engage in practices that would ensure the conservation and sustainable use of Nigeria’s waters? Again, what ocean education, does the people living within 50 miles of Nigeria’s coast, have to enable them indulge in activities that would improve the health of Nigeria’s waters? Lastly, how many of our policy makers, are aware that, hydrographic information, can help them provide regulatory framework, to facilitate sustainable interactions within Nigeria’s ocean? I strongly believe, that, at the end of today’s world hydrography day celebration in Nigeria, answers to these posers would have been provided. I also believe that today’s event would provide enough awareness on how effective hydrographic service delivery in Nigeria, would help reduce plastic wastes, manufactured chemicals, petroleum wastes, agricultural runoff, and biological threats in our waters. This, would in-turn improve Nigeria’s economy, and the health of its citizenry, as harmful toxins, ingested through eating contaminated seafoods, would be reduced to barest minimum.

6.My optimism, is predicated on the fact that, Nigeria has never witnessed the kind of hydrographic developmental strides, and capacities it currently has. For instance, Nigeria is today among the chart producing nations of the world, capable of producing not just nautical charts, but also specialized hydrographic products, like, Environmental Sensitivity Index charts, beach gradient maps and several nautical publications, to guide policy makers, maritime security agencies and mariners alike, while engaging in any form of maritime activities. Nigeria is also able to generate and disseminate maritime safety information to all users. There is also reasonable number of human capital, available in the Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Ports Authority, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, National Inland Waterways Authority, National Institute for Oceanographic and Marine Research, the academia and in the private sector, to conduct marine scientific research, that would provide more information of our waters, to facilitate sustainable use of our oceans, in line with the objectives of the UN’s Ocean Decade. Additionally, the 60-meter offshore survey vessel, in the inventory of the NN, as well as one 35-meters coastal survey boat, and two inland survey boats due to be delivered to the NN and National Inland Waterways Authority, respectively, suggest that there would be adequate hydrographic information for all users across the country, within the period of the UN’s Decade of Ocean Science.

7.There are also ongoing collaborative efforts among stakeholders to further improve the existing hydrographic capacities in the country. Currently, the Nigerian Navy, National Inland Waterways Authority and NEXIM Bank are surveying some critical inland waters of Nigeria, in order to provide more information that would facilitate measures to enhance sustainable development in Nigeria within the next decade. Additionally, Nigerian Navy and University of Lagos are working together to ensure sustainable supply of hydrographic skilled human capital to all stakeholders in Nigeria. These, and many more initiatives, would, no doubt facilitate availability of the right information of our waters, which would be utilized by Government, security agencies, researchers, the academia, mariners, and maritime practitioners to ensure proper management, conservation and sustainable use of Nigeria’s waters, towards the realization of the objectives of the UN Ocean Decade. I, therefore, urge you participants to leverage the advantages offered by this year’s world hydrography day to form bounds, create networks and exchange ideas. This is because more collaborations would be required in the coming years, so as to harness our individual hydrographic potentials for more improved hydrographic practice and efficient service delivery within the decade in view. The Nigerian Navy Hydrographic Office is willing to work with all relevant stakeholders to facilitate the fulfilment of Nigeria’s National and International hydrographic obligations.

8.At this juncture, Special Guest of Honour, distinguished invited Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, please permit me to acknowledge the strategic guidance and support received from the Chief of the Naval Staff, through my immediate boss, the Chief of Training and Operations, which have enabled Nigerian Navy Hydrographic Office to sustain momentum in hydrographic capacity development of Nigeria. Sir, we are grateful and always ready for further directives. I am also grateful to the leadership of the Nigerian Ports Authority, National Inland Waterways Authority, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NEXIM Bank, National Institute for Oceanographic and Marine Research, Nigerian Hydrographic Society and University of Lagos, for sharing your hydrographic capabilities with us. This has, in no small measure, added to the overall hydrographic capacity development of Nigeria, and ultimately, positioned Nigeria as one of the countries of the world that would fully restore the health of its part of the world’s oceans, by the year 2030.

9.I wish to recognize also the foundation laid by past Hydrographers of the Navy and those of other agencies present here, without which there would be nothing for us to build on. We are grateful for your mentorship and the training we received from you when you were with us. To the upcoming hydrographers, I urge you to pay attention to our mentorship and instructions, for that is the only sure way, of achieving sustainability in hydrographic capacity development, when you take over the baton from us.

10.On this note, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to thank all our distinguished guests for honouring our invitation. We are not unmindful of the traffic huddles you crossed to be with us this morning. We greatly appreciate your presence. Once again, welcome to the 2022 world hydrography day celebration in Nigeria.

God bless you all; ‘Onward Together’.

Nigeria has a desperate need for more detailed research of its marine domain and a similar need for effective offshore patrolling. How logical it was, then, for the two requirements to be served by one magnificent vessel.

The chosen builder/designer was the very well-respected and renowned French aluminium specialist OCEA, whose ships we see frequently on these pages. OCEA has produced a typically purposeful, rugged and efficient ship that will also be impressively versatile and well able to handle both roles.

The vessel was designed and built to offer excellent operational capabilities thanks to a combination of improved seakeeping, the effective integration of scientific sensors and systems, and reduced environmental impact,” OCEA told Baird Maritime. “For the latter aspect, this meant reductions in radiated noise, vibrations, and pollution.”

NNS Lana used a proven design that was utilised for two oceanographic survey vessels that OCEA supplied to the Indonesian Navy and that have been in operation for eight years. Modifications included features to make the vessel more suitable for operations in Nigerian territorial and EEZ waters. Besides the typical sonars and other sensors, the suite of onboard equipment therefore also includes tools for sampling, storage and analysis of water, fish and sediment.

There are also wet and dry laboratories, scientific data management tools, and space for a 7.6-metre survey vehicle for use in shallow inland and coastal waters.

The need for achieving safe waterways for navigation, engineering, exploration, security and othermarine operations cannot be overemphasized and should be attained using precise methods andequipment. The Hydrographic process still remains the only systematic means through whichspatial information about our marine environment (oceans, seas, rivers etc.) are acquired forcharting purposes so as to aid analysis and decision making. In Nigeria today, most marineoperations and mostly the Nigerian Navy is dependent on the Hydrographic process for smoothoperations required for security, trading, engineering etc. therefore maintaining the integrity of thehydrographic process is of uttermost importance. To maintain the integrity of the hydrographicprocess used for charting our navigational channels, the progressive evolution of this process shallbe assessed: from the earliest methods that directly sounded navigational channels using weightedlead lines and graduated poles to provide water depths to Wire Drag methods used to identifyphysical features on the marine environment, then to the 1930s when acoustic waves were appliedin the Echo Sounder to indirectly ascertain seabed profile, and the use of instruments like MultiBeam Echo Sounders, Magnetometer, Side Scan Sonar, etc. for detailed Bathymetric andGeophysical Survey Projects, and presently to the use of Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV) andsatellites in space to monitor sea level rise. All these methods are all driven by the insatiable needfor more advancements and sophistication in providing information about our marineenvironment. This paper renders a detailed discourse on the progressive advancements of thehydrographic process used in charting of our marine environment. It also providesrecommendations on the future outlook of this process so as to preserve the accuracy in chartingour Nigerian navigational channel.Keywords: Hydrographic Survey, Navigation, Trends, Recommendation, Bathymetry, Geophysical.
INTRODUCTION
Hydrography as defined by the National Ocean service “is the science that measures anddescribes the physical features of the navigable portion of the Earth's surface and adjoiningcoastal areas. Hydrographic Surveyors study these bodies of water to see what the "floor" lookslike”, were Hydrographic Survey method is the principal means in which this spatial data iscollected and the basis for delineating a navigational channel for various economic benefits in:transportation, trading, security, exploration, engineering etc. Furthermore, Hydrography focuseson the deduction of underwater topography from numerous discrete observations of depth. Theyare also carried out for the following:
1. Provide basic data for nautical charting
2. Obtaining site detail for alongshore or offshore construction
3. Assessing the condition of port and marina facilities
4. Measuring the quantities in dredging projects and
5. Determination of the extent of siltation and for numerous other reasons.But this paper’s focus is on Nautical Chart making.
All marine bodies (Oceans, Seas, Rivers etc.) covering all countries in the world are consequent onhydrographic survey methods for mapping out navigational channels, and Nigerian waters are alsobeing charted too using best survey methods, as the Nigerian Navy Hydrographic Office (NNHO)commenced chart production with the unveiling of Nigeria’s first National Chart at the 2019 WorldHydrography Day celebration in Lagos (Nigerian Navy Hydrographic Office, n.d.) in a bid to chart allnavigable Nigerian waters.Over the years, these survey methods have advanced steadily from direct methods to the dominantindirect methods of our present day. Where these methods have evolved, the need to preserve andenhance accuracy in the survey methods used in charting these navigation channels has remainedinsatiable. This paper aims at pointing out the advancements made in hydrographic surveying from where wewere yesterday, where we are today and the future outlook of hydrographic survey methods usedin charting the Nigerian navigational channels. This aim is objectively achieved through:
I. Reviewing the progressive trend of Hydrographic Survey methods
II. Providing recommendations the future outlook, in order to maintain accuracy in thepractice of Hydrography in Nigeria
NAUTICAL CHART
A map/chart is the final product of any survey carried out for any area of interest. It is the visualrepresentation of any specific marine environment in consideration and also the basis for everywaterborne operation. Just like a basic survey map/plan, the Nautical Chart presents a graphicalspatial relationship of features within any marine environment (oceans, seas, rivers etc.).Information on the Nautical Chart usually includes: areas of varying water depths/tidalinformation, position of wreck/obstacles (navigational hazards), natural/manmade features, mapprojection parameters and navigational channels/routes. This information on the nautical chart isrepresented using signifying colors and symbols according to IHO standards S-4 Regulations andSpecifications for IHO International Charts (IHO, 2018).The Act of Parliament 1964 and the Armed Forces Cap Act A20 LFN of Nigeria empowered theNigerian Navy to chart all Nigerian waters, while the Nigerian Navy Hydrographic Office (NNHO) asubsidiary of the Nigerian Navy has been invested with the power to produce/issue Nautical Charts(updates, corrections) about Nigerian waters (Nigerian Navy Hydrographic Office n.d.).
The NNHOmakes this available on demand either via an electronic web link or through a paper sheet, so thatend users can have a proper navigational guide in their marine operations. It is important to notethat the confidence of a nautical chart is dependent on the accuracy of the survey methodemployed.
TRENDS OF HYDROGRAPHIC SURVEY FOR NAUTICAL CHART MAKING
The constant need for accuracy has remained the driving force in the advancements of the surveymethods used in charting navigation channels. As these methods progressed, sophistication ofequipment and methodology progressed directly too. These methods are commonly divided intotwo:
1. Direct Methods
2. Indirect Methods
These methods have been the classification of all past and present survey methods used in chartingour marine environment (navigation channels). Conclusively, all hydrographic survey methodshave gradually advanced from direct methods which produced incomplete and interpolatedinformation to indirect methods which gave more reliable and comprehensive information on anymarine environment of interest.
1. Direct Methods
The earliest use of direct methods for hydrographic survey cannot be traced, as there are no officialrecords to its first use and invention. But it is important to note that because there was little or noinformation (Nautical Charts) for sailing ships on coastal waters, the United States congress in 1790began authorizing specific and limited surveys of the coast (NOAA, 2017).The survey methodology involved in Direct Methods includes using of graduated lines, poles, wireand sextant (3-D position fix) to take measurements that determines depth difference and features(wrecks) on the seabed. The earliest charts produced using these methods were comparativelyreliable (Ojinnaka, 2007) although not accurate in its totality. This because: the graduated line andpole method, inasmuch as they gave accurate depth readings to the seabed, the method waslaborious, time consuming and its area of coverage limited thereby a lot of information on theearliest nautical charts were interpolated. But the invention of the early 1900’s Wire Drag method revolutionized the practice of Hydrographic Survey in that it had a lot of coverage (unlike thegraduated pole and lead line method) and the position of wrecks and other navigational hazardscould be identified. NOAA associates Nicholas Heck of the Coast Geodetic Survey, a predecessor ofthe US Coast Survey to its breakthrough (National Ocean Service et al, 2007). The Wire Dragmethod had the attachment of each edge of a wire net (at a specified depth) to two different vessels(Boat or Ship as seen in Fig 1) and while the vessels moved and encountered an obstruction, itwould make a V shape exposing the location and depth of the obstruction (NOAA as cited in Donaldand Parnell, 2018). This Wire Drag method as seen in Fig 1 was a major upgrade to the graduatedpole and lead line method because a lot of obstacles (wrecks and other navigational hazards) whichwere missed by the graduated and lead line method could now be identified.
The United States Coast Survey (USCS) depended so much on the Wire Drag method from the early1900 to the early 1990 (National Ocean Service et al, 2007) with this method likely accounting acertain percentage in the over 11,600 Hydrographic Surveys carried out by the USCS till date(National Ocean Service et al, 2007). In as much as this method revolutionized the practice ofhydrographic survey, its area of coverage was limited.
2. Indirect Method
In as much as the Wire Drag method was more reliable than the graduated pole method, in that itprovided more details about the seabed, the need for sophistication in equipment and methodologywithout compromising on accuracy was also needed. This ushered in the dominant use of sonarenabled equipment(s) and remote sensing techniques to indirectly determine depths andposition of physical features which hamper navigational.
Sonar Systems
In recent times, the available means of carrying out Hydrographic Survey operation uses Sonarsensors which propagate acoustic waves to carry out underwater measurements. These sensorsdeployed into the marine environment have the ability to provide seabed profile/depths, positionsand images of wrecks and obstacles, in the water body etc. plus they can thrive in both fresh andsalt water environment. Single/Multi Beam Echo Sounders, Side Scan Sonars etc. are commoninstruments employed in this indirect method. The two basic surveys applied in charting navigationchannels include; Bathymetric Survey and Physical feature Identification Surveys.
i. Bathymetric Survey: Position Fixing and Sounding are the basic features of Bathymetry so as todetermine depth variants and the topography of the seafloor from which navigable water channelscan be delineated accurately based on bathymetric survey carried out on the marine environment.Echo Sounders are the basic equipment used for sounding to determine depth variants. The Titanicdisaster of 1913 was the driving force that led German Physicist Alexander Behm, who in his bid todetermine how to detect iceberg, discovered the use of sound pulses to determine depths from thesurface to the bottom of the sea (Sana, 2013). But the development and implementation of the EchoSounder as an equipment can be traced to the 1930’s when single beam sound waves were sent outfrom a transducer directly below a vessel (NOAA, 2017). Nowadays, the Echo Sounder has become amainstay in Bathymetry, although Multi Beam Echo Sounders (MBES) are much more preferablyused as they send out a spread of sound waves in one single ping as seen in Fig2 with a 100% coverage, unlike the single beam which sends out only one line of sound wave at one ping andleaving various unsounded gaps.
Information about Nigerian water(s) are also being determined using bathymetric surveys, with theexistence of various literatures/projects giving credence to that fact. The uniqueness of theseexisting literatures and projects is the similarity in Equipment, Data Acquisition and DataProcessing: (Tata et al, 2019) carried out a Bathymetric Survey on a part of Lagos Lagoon: Data wasacquired using an Echo Sounder, Absolute Positioning (Handheld GPS), Moving Vessel (Boat),Transducer, PowerNav for navigation etc. while Hypack, ArcGIS. AutoCAD, Surfer etc. were used fordata processing and charting. Also (Badejo and Adewuyi, 2019) carried out a Bathymetric Surveyon some parts of Badagry Creek and Yewa River in Lagos State Nigeria: Data was acquired using anEcho Sounder, RTK-GPS (Differential Positioning), while Hypack, ArcGIS were used formapping/charting,
The AKK (Ajaokuta Kaduna Kano) is a gas pipeline project managed by NNPC. The proposed gaspipeline route traverses from Ajaokuta in Kogi State, through Niger/Kaduna State and terminates atKano State. With some water bodies like Chiromawa, Hadejija, Shika, Garnin Jatau, Sarkin Pawa etc.among others found within the over 500km proposed gas pipeline route. The scope of workspecified a bathymetric survey using a single beam Echo Sounder, Survey vessel, DGPS systeminterfaced to a notebook navigation and data logging system, so as to determine the relationshipbetween water levels and ground levels, for the production of a profile map of the Gas Pipelineroute. (Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, 2019). Fig 3 shows the result of the BathymetricSurvey of Shika River as seen in the Hypack environment which was the navigation and datalogging system used during the execution of AKK survey works in 2020, as specified for the project.It is also significant to note that as Bathymetric survey is important in projects carried out in highelevation Northern Nigeria, so it is of highest important to various individuals and companies whocarry out various bathymetric activities in our coastal areas for purposes ranging from research tofinancial profits: Just as (Tata et al, 2019) cited above carried out a Bathymetric Survey on theLagos lagoon, (Chukwu and Badejo, 2015) carried out the same bathymetric survey on the same Lagos lagoon with a different purpose to study seabed topography change over a six year periodfrom 2008-2013: results from the research showed sediment changes in the six year period, whilethe research recommended more studies on the Lagos lagoon as it affects marine transport.
ii Physical Feature Identification Survey: In accessing the progressive evolution of thehydrographic methods used in mapping seafloors, the 1950’s to 1970’s saw the offering of SideScan Sonars and Multi Beam Swathe systems in providing a qualitative means of mapping ourseafloors and identifying positions of wrecks and features (NOAA, 2017). This on its own solved theproblem of incomplete depth determination as encountered in the Single Beam Echo Sounder(SBES) and the limitations in identifying physical features as encountered in the Wire Drag method.These days, in the execution of various marine projects applied in engineering, navigation, research,offshore survey inspections etc., full spread Bathymetric and Geophysical surveys arerecommended, as such combination provide a better understanding on the interest marineenvironment.Geophysical Survey is not basically hydrographic survey, and it is totally different in its entirety,but its principles and equipment(s) have applications in most underwater projects includingmapping of navigable waters.The scope of works and equipment(s) involved in Geophysical Survey for charting navigationalchannels include but are not limited to the following:
a. Bathymetric Survey: To determine variation in water depths, so as to understand theseabed topography. This is achieved by using an Echo Sounder, preferably a Multi BeamEcho Sounder.
b. Determination of geo-hazards: especially ferrous materials underneath the seafloor, this isdone using a magnetometer which has the ability to identify any magnetic field (metallicobjects) around the marine environment of interest.
c. Identification of debris and wreckages on the seabed: This is achieved using a Side ScanSonar (SSS) which provides a recorded video/pictorial imagery of inherent positions ofdebris and wreckages found on the marine environment of interest.
d. Navigation and Positioning using mainly GNSS Satellite Based Augmentation System (SBAS).
e. Survey Vessel as a moving platform which carries all the sensors
f. Data processing using software(s) like Hypack, AutoCAD, Surfer etc.Inasmuch as Geophysical Survey equipment(s) are expensive, it still remains the most accessiblemeans of Hydrographic Survey available for charting all navigable waters in Nigeria, as it givesmore detailed information on the seabed, as seen in (Egbuh, 2006) who carried out a hydrographicsurvey in the Lagos Port area for purposes of safe navigation: the equipment deployed for dataacquisition included Echo Sounder, Magnetometer, Side Scan Sonar etc. Data was processed usingAutoCAD, Hypack, HydroCAD, SurvCAD, GPS Path Finder office, with results showing depth variantsfrom 1.1m to 24m and a total of One hundred and nine (109) wreckages in the entire survey area.The high numbers of wreckages simply shows the significance of detailed bathymetric andgeophysical survey in delineating navigational channels. As the results from this survey shows agreat number of hazards inherent to safe navigation. Now with this methodology and equipment(s),recommendations could be made for routine dredging of navigational channels, so as to maintainease in vessel navigation.Fig 3 and Fig 4 below shows some equipment(s) employed in identifying Physical features whichcould impede safe navigation.
Remote Sensing Techniques

As the quest for improved precision in data acquisition for hydrographic survey has continued,there has been rapid development of modern technologies in remote sensing methods. Some ofthese new techniques which have been applied in bathymetric data collection have been describedas “non-traditional” (Leder et al, 2020). They include; Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUV), LightDetection and Ranging (LiDAR) platforms and Satellite Derived Bathymetry (SDB)
i. Unmanned Underwater Vehicles: UUVs are products of robotic engineering applied in modernday hydrographic survey, either in Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicles (ROV) which requirestethered connecting cables and a human operator for functionality or an Autonomous UnderwaterVehicles (AUV)whose operations are automated.The commercial introduction of ROVs could be traced to the 1970’s (Leder et al. 2018) which was asolution to Hydrographic survey in areas inaccessible to survey vessels to deploy sonar systemslike the MBES, SSS etc. as described earlier. Currently, hydrographic uses for ROV include objectidentification (such as navigational hazards), vessel hull inspections and least depth determination(Leder et al 2018) with lighting and sonar cameras which carry out these tasks, thereby providingreal time video and pictorial imageries of the interest marine environment.
ii. LiDAR Platforms: Several researches have stated that investigations have been carried out onthe derivation of bathymetric data from satellite since the 1970s (Mavraeidopoulos et al, 2017;Jegat et al, 2016). However with the advancements in satellite technology, more work has beencarried out on these techniques. An importance of bathymetric surveys in nautical navigation ofshallow water is to avoid stranding (Sagawa et al. 2019). The traditional techniques such as thesonar systems as earlier described can at an instant measure a width equal to twice the depth ofwater. However, a shortcoming of this technique is that it cannot measure shallow waterseffectively (Smith and Sandwell, 2004). The Lidar platforms have been adopted in hydrographicsurveying of recent as can be seen in literatures such as (Sagawa et al, 2019; Irish and Lillycrop,1999; Leder et al, 2020). (Humboldt State university, 2016) highlights that there are three types ofLidar platforms:
(i) Ground based
(ii) Aerial platform such as the Aerial laser scanning (ALS) andDrone Laser Scanning (DLS) and
(iii) Satellite based platforms.
However, (Leatherman, 2003) classifies LiDAR based on two purposes, either Topographic orBathymetric: were the Topographic LiDAR uses near-infrared beam to map land surfaces, theBathymetric LiDAR uses infrared and green laser beam.Bathymetric LiDAR is employed in hydrographic survey to capture geospatial data of the coastlineand shallow waters (Leder et al., 2020). A major plus to Bathymetric Lidar is that they are used inareas that are inaccessible to survey vessels (Zhang et al., 2019). A limitation in the use of ALB isthat the target area must be in a flight capable area. Another limitation is the extremely high cost ofALB (Sagawa et al., 2019). This means that there will be insufficient data for areas that the surveyvessels cannot access or that the airplanes cannot operate.
Satellite Derived Bathymetry
Satellite Derived Bathymetry (SDB) is defined as the determination of depth information byanalyzing satellite images (Sagawa et al, 2019). This is one of the currently used state-of-the –arttechnologies in the estimation of depth using remote sensing techniques by employing multispectral or hyper-spectral sensors (Sagawa et al, 2019). Currently, SDB data has potential tobecome one of the main low cost sources of spatial data especially in hydrographic surveying(Leder et al, 2020). Further reads on SDB can be found in (Sagawa et al, 2019; Lyzenga et al, 2006;Kao et al, 2009; Manessa et al., 2016; Mavraeidopoulos et al., 2017; Leder et al., 2020; Gao, 2009;Pe’eri et al., 2013).
Artificial Intelligence (AI)Artificial Intelligence is an upcoming advancement in Hydrographic, as there are no dominantrecords of its use in Hydrographic survey. Artificial Intelligence involves embedding humancapacities of logic, understanding, perception, reasoning, creativity etc. into a machine so that it canapply such capacities to any phenomenon of interest. AI has been employed in almost every sectorof technology, and Hydrography is not a back bencher to this present advancement, as the Esri GeoAI has employed machine learning and deep learning tools in ArcGIS to create point featureclass containing shipwreck point and also provide charts of marine environment (Snow et al.2020).
RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE FUTURE OUTLOOK
To achieve this paper’s aim of preserving the precision for mapping the Nigerian navigationalchannels, the progressive trend in hydrographic survey had to be reviewed from direct to indirectmethods, ushering in more sophisticated equipment(s) for a precise and detailed depthdetermination and mapping of physical features. The following are some recommendations that ifimplemented could redefine the practice of hydrography in Nigeria with accuracy being the drivingforce.
1. Involvement of Key Players: Inasmuch as the Nigerian Navy is empowered to chart all Nigerianwaters and delineate navigable waters, the seamlessness of achieving this is not feasible if allhydrography professionals are not involved. This includes call for all research works on all Nigerianwaters and projects carried out by individuals and companies in the past, assessing their resultswith proper quality checks and compiling them, using it as base information for navigation andmapping of uncharted Nigerian waters.
2. Satellite Systems: Satellite systems seem to be the present and future of science and technology.More exploration and utilization of the technologies in satellite systems could be focused inremotely charting Nigerian Waters for the delineation of navigational channels. This might beexpensive, considering the cost of building and launching a satellite, but the Nigerian Navy couldlatch on to the already existing satellites in space which could also be used to provide SatelliteBased Augmentation System (SBAS) corrections and provide real time information on Nigeriannavigation channels to vessels who have been granted permission to the frequency. This on its ownis economically beneficial and guarantees security of our water ways for various offshore projectsin trading, security, transportation, Oil and Gas etc.
3. Exploring Advancements in AI and Programming: There is a saying that mapping the moon’ssurface is easier than mapping the water bodies. This implores the Nigerian Navy to exploreadvancements in Artificial Intelligence and Programming as a means to map Nigerian waters forefficient delineation navigable channels.
4. Quality Control: The need for a Quality Control team which regulates hydro survey is important.A team that ensures that all standards for the practice of Hydrographic survey are followed, andalso keeps a compilation of charts on Nigerian waters so as to maintain uniformity in practice.
5. Training: Because Hydrographic Survey is not as common as the regular onshore surveys, thereare very few skilled in this practice. This stresses the need for adequate training or an improvementof the existing curriculum in Nigerian military academies, universities, polytechnics and colleges ofeducation, so as to equip individuals with hands-on practical knowledge in the practice of accurateHydrographic survey. For the preservation of accuracy in the practice of hydrographic Survey inNigeria is determinate on the proper framework laid for the future generation.
CONCLUSION
The understanding of the progressive trend was crucial to recommending of the future outlook ofcharting the Nigerian navigational channels. This progressive trend has graduated steadily from thedirect methods to the dominant indirect methods. But it is noteworthy to say that all succeedingmethods were solutions to the limitations of the previous methods which were driven by the needfor better accuracy and sophistication. Inasmuch as this paper has tried to proffer somerecommendation, the future still seems unpredictable as it is probable that better methods andequipment(s) are expected to redefine the limitations of the present day dominant methods.
REFERENCES
Badejo O.T and Adewuyi G.k (2019). Bathymetric Survey and Topographic Survey changesinvestigation of part of Badagry Creek and Yewa River, Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria. Journal ofGeography, Environment and Earth Science International

Chukwu F.N and Badejo O.T (2015). Bathymetric Survey Investigation for Lagos Lagoon SeabedTopographical Changes. Journal of Geosciences and Geomatics, 2015, Vol. 3, No. 2, 37-43

Donald W and Parnell P.E (2016). Guide to Hydrographic Survey. Original Courseware.

Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National OceanicService and Department of Defense, Defense Mapping Agency Hydrographic/Topographic Center.(1984). Chart No.1 United States of America Nautical Chart Symbols and Abbreviations. NationalOceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Oceanic Service. Washington D.C. 20230

Egbuh I.N (2006). Charting Nigerian Waters for Safer Navigation. FIG Regional Conference 2006Accra Ghana 8-11 March 2006.

Gao, J (2009). Bathymetric mapping by means of remote sensing: Methods, accuracy andlimitations, Progress in Physical Geography, 33, 103-116.

Humboldt State University (2016). GSP 2016 - Introduction to Remote Sensing. Lidar Overview.Humboldt State Geospatial. Online,http://gsp.humboldt.edu/OLM/Courses/GSP_216_Online/lesson7-1/overview.html,29.01.2020.

International Hydrographic Organization (2018). Regulations of the IHO for International (INT)Charts and Chart specifications of the IHO. International Hydrographic Organization Monaco

Irish, J.L.; Lillycrop, W.J. (1999) Scanning laser mapping of the coastal zone: The SHOALS system.ISPRS J. Photogramm. Remote Sens. 1999, 54, 123–129. [CrossRef]

Kao, H.-M.; Ren, H.; Lee, C.-S.; Chang, C.-P.; Yen, J.-Y.; Lin, T.-H. (2009). Determination of shallowwater depth using optical satellite images. Int. J. Remote Sens., 30, 6241–6260. [CrossRef]

Leatherman, S. P. (2003). Shoreline Change Mapping and Management along the U.S. EastCoast, Journal of Coastal Research, Vol. No. Special Issue 38, 5-13.

Leder, N. and Leder, T.D. (2018). Analysis of State- of-the- art Hydrographic Survey Technologies.

FIG working Week 2020. Smart Surveyors for land and water management. Amsterdam, theNetherlands. 10 -14 May, 2020.

Leder, N., Leder, T.D. and Bacic, S. (2020). Unmanned Vehicle Systems in Hydrographic Survey-NewOpportunities and Challenges. International Conference on Transport Science Portoroz 2018.Conference Paper 14-15, June 2018.

Lyzenga, D.R.; Malinas, N.P.; Tanis, F.J. (2006) Multispectral Bathymetry using a simple physicallybased algorithm. IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote Sens, 44, 2251–2258. [CrossRef]

Manessa, M.D.M.; Kanno, A.; Sekine, M.; Haidar, M.; Yamamoto, K.; Imai, T.; Higuchi, T. (2016).Satellite-derived bathymetry using random forest algorithm and worldview-2 Imagery. Geoplan. J.Geomat. Plan., 3, 117–126. [CrossRef]

Mavraeidopoulos, A.K.; Pallikaris, A.; Oikonomou, E. (2017). Satellite Derived Bathymetry (SDB) andSafety of Navigation. Int. Hydrogr. Rev. 17, 7–20.

National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S Department ofCommerce, USA.gov (2007). Hydrographic Survey Techniques.http://celebrating200years.noaa.gov/

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (2017). History of Hydrographic Surveying.http://nautical charts.nooa.gov

Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (2019). Ajaokuta Kaduna Kano Gas Pipeline ProjectTechnical Requirements for survey works.

Nigerian Navy Hydrographic Office (Undated). https://www.nnho.ng

Ojinnaka O.C (2007). Principles of Hydrographic Surveying from Sextant to Satellite. EL’ DemakPublishers

Pe’eri S, Azuike C and Parrish C (2013). Satellite-derived Bathymetry - A Reconnaissance Tool forHydrography, Hydro Int. (17), 16-19.

Tata H, Nzelibe I.O and Faneye A.J (2019). Bathymetric Mapping for Safe Navigation: A case study ofPart of Lagos Lagoon. African Publications and Research International Vol.14 No.3 ISSN: 1896-6783

Sagawa, T., Yamash*ta, Y., Okumura, T. and Yamanokuchi, T. (2019). Satellite Derived BathymetryUsing Machine Learning and Multi-Temporal Satellite Images. Remote Sens. 2019, 11, 1155;doi:10.3390/rs11101155.

Sana .S. (2013). Radio Propagation Measurements and Channel Modelling. John Wiley & Sons. p.424.ISSN 9781118502327

Smith, W and Sandwell, D. (2004). Conventional Bathymetry, Bathymetry from Space, and GeodeticAltimetry. Oceanography, 17, 8–23. [CrossRef]

Snow S., Yu D and Hosuru M. (2020). A Presentation on Esri Hydrographic Application of AI. Online,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJeMCBJwCrA

Zhang, Z., Zhang, J., Ma, Y., Tian, H. and Jiang, T., (2019). Retrieval of Nearshore Bathymetry aroundGanquan Island from LiDAR Waveform and QuickBird Image, Applied Sciences, 9(20), 4375.

L-R: Hydrographer of the Nigerian Navy, Rear Admiral Emeka Okafor; FOC WEST, Rear Admiral Jason Gbassa; CNS, Vice Admiral Gambo; and representative of MD NPA

L-R: Commanding Officer NNS LANA, Captain Abdullateef Mahmud; Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo; and Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Jason Gbass

Any force is only as good as its military equipment and for the Nigerian Navy (NN), its platforms. This is because in protecting the domestic and even external territorial integrity, aggressive fleet recapitalisation strategy must be enabled. Firm believers of this ideology, the NN recently boosted its fleet by taking delivery of its first ever purpose-built Offshore Survey Vessel, Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) LANA, from Saint Nazaire, France. However, beyond its role in the recapitalisation process, the new vessel is unique in the sense that it will boost hydrographic survey in the nation's maritime domain. After its launch in France, the vessel began its journey home and was received at the jetty of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT last month, just in time before the now cancelled NN anniversary week

Maritime Illegalities

Although 70 per cent of Nigeria's economic growth lies on the waterways, the maritime domain is often fraught with the challenges of maritime illegalities ranging from piracy, sea robbery, smuggling, illegal fishing to brazen crude oil theft, proliferation of illegal refinery, destruction of critical infrastructure for oil and gas, reckless violent crimes such as kidnapping, hijack and attack on security forces and many more others.To tackle this, the Nigerian Navy has had to patrol the endless miles of waterways despite some major challenges like shortage of Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV), budget constraints, inadequate local ship building capacity for constructing naval vessels and inadequate surveillance.The challenge is even pronounced given that the navy not just protects Nigeria's territorial integrity but also contributes its quota at the regional level, by patrolling the waters of the Gulf of Guinea, which is a vast expanse of water stretching almost 6,000km from Senegal to Angola.But today, some of these challenges are gradually becoming a thing of the past especially when it comes to fleet acquisition, surveillance and ship building capacity.

Role of Hydrography

world’s trade is conducted by the sea, and this is, by far, the most cost-effective way to move large quantity of goods and raw materials around the world. Thus, it would be safe to say that world economies have been hugely dependent on various maritime activities. Daily, about 180,000 vessels take to sea, 30 million tons of goods are ferried across the world; ports are built, coastal infrastructure are developed, coasts are defended, marine environmental plans are implemented. Also, cables carrying data run the length and breadth of the earth, enabling more than 3.7 billion humans use the internet daily.One of the unseen forces that makes these possible is a hydrographer. Without the services of hydrographers, who provide charts and other nautical publications, voyages through the sea would have become a nightmare to captains of ships, who need to move goods and services from one part of the world to the order in a safe and economical way. Over the years, the Nigerian Navy, in line with her constitutional roles, has been building both human and material capacities to enable her provide hydrographic services that meets international standard. These efforts have paid off. In recent times, Nigerian Navy Hydrographic Office (NNHO) ramped up its hydrographic capabilities with several first-of-its-kind products to support Nigeria’s Blue Economy project. This was seen during the last World Hydrography Day (WHD) when the NNHO published the first indigenous navigational chart ever produced by Nigeria; NG 2501 (Lagos Harbour Chart) with much fanfare.According to the Hydrographer of the Navy during the last WHD, Rear Admiral Emeka Okafor, "this feat completed Nigeria’s hydrographic capacity development as required by the IHO".Essentially, with the induction of the state-ofthe art offshore survey vessel, with autonomous capabilities, this has ensured that the navy will be fully poised to provide up-to-date marine geo-spatial information of Nigerian waters to diverse maritime operators, for enhanced economic growth of Nigeria.According to the Director of Naval Information (DINFO), Commodore Suleman Dahun, it is envisaged that the rebirth of NNS LANA would afford the Nigerian Navy Hydrographic Department the leverage to successfully and systematically conduct hydrographic surveys and charting of Nigeria’s waters.He said: "It would also afford Nigeria with the opportunity of keying into the General Bathymetric Charts of the Oceans (GEBCO) Seabed 2030 project and the Global Multi-Resolution Topography (GMRT) synthesis project which would ultimately facilitate Nigeria’s accomplishment of its obligation under SOLAS Convention in accordance with President Muhammadu Buhari’s deliberate and sustained policies on maritime safety and security."

Cross section of senior officers with the CNS

Fleet Recapitalisation

Asides its hydrographic role, the vessel is a boost to the fleet recapitalisation effort of the navy. It is pertinent to state that the foremost desire of every littoral state is to have a fleet with the right mix of platforms to meet its operational objectives in patrolling the vast littoral space. So for the NN, seeking to overwhelm the criminals in their game, the requirement for enormous capacity upgrade has led to massive fleet recapitalisation, generous logistic support, retooled maintenance facilities and equipment restock, processes recalibration, and manpower boost in quality and quantity.

Construction

The new vessel was conceived as a replacement to the previous NNS LANA, a survey ship that was decommissioned about 10 years ago. Notably, the construction of the Offshore Survey Vessel 190 MKII (NNS LANA) commenced in December 2019 and the project was divided into four major milestones which were: the completion of the deck molds, completion of hull blocks, hull assembly on the main deck and the delivery and installation of the main engines at the shipyard. According to the Director of Information (DINFO), Commodore Suleman Dahun, these milestones were the benchmarks which determined the level of work achieved at each stage of the project. The building process was successfully completed and the ship was launched on September 24, 2020 at Les Sables d'Olonne, France.

Handover

In preparation for its onward journey home, NNS LANA was handed over to the Nigerian Navy in France on January 15, 2021 after the provisional acceptance trials was concluded. The crew training however commenced on January 2021 and ended on April 12, 2021.They also signed contract for another 35 metre Offshore Survey Vessel with OCEA.

Flag Transfer

In taking delivery of the ship, a Flag Transfer Ceremony was held in France. This represents the transfer of responsibility, authority and accountability of a vessel from one flag state to another. Speaking at the Flag Transfer Ceremony, the Minister of Defence, Major General Bashir Magashi (rtd), represented by the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo stated that the new vessel was conceived as a replacement to the previous NNS LANA, a survey ship that was decommissioned about 10 years ago. The minister, who was the special guest of honour at the event, added that the occasion marked a great milestone in the fulfilment of the dream of not only replacing but, enhancing Nigerian Navy’s survey capability. Importantly, the new vessel is expected to fill the void created following the decommissioning of the previous NNS LANA.Highlighting the import of having a survey vessel like NNS LANA, he said that survey services and charting waterways play a crucial role in ensuring safe navigation as well as delivery of maritime security. Hence, NNS LANA will not only enhance the safety of Nigeria’s maritime environment but the ship will serve as a critical component in the projection of naval power for enhanced maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea. Buhari for his commitment towards the recapitalisation of the NN Fleet, he also added that the ship will play a critical role in protection of maritime resources and preservation of law and order at sea, thus contributing significantly to promotion of global maritime commerce.

NNS LANA at NNS BEECROFT jetty in Apapa, Lagos

Port Calls

After the inauguration, the NN's newest Offshore Survey Vessel (NNS LANA) began her homeward journey to Nigeria. The voyage included port visits to Lisbon, Las Palmas, Banjul and Tema-Ghana before it arrived Nigeria on May 17, 2021.

Reception

At its arrival, the navy received the vessel at NNS BEECROFT Jetty and the parade ground respectively. At the reception, the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, who was the guest of honour, was elated at the capacity of the vessel. After the arrival of the vessel at the jetty, part of the activities were the report of sea proceedings, tour of the ship by dignitaries led by the CNS and group photograph.

Revenue Generator

For the navy, aside the boost to hydrographic survey, the newly acquired hydrographic vessel, would be a revenue generator. According to the CNS, the vessel would also be deployed in Nigeria waters and anywhere her services are required inorder to boost hydrographic efforts within the Nigerian maritime space.He said: "Where we get patronage from the Gulf of Guinea and other parties as may be, we will render services at a cost. So, she is a revenue generation asset for the country and the Nigeria Navy and other maritime agencies. It's revenue generating in the sense that the Nigerian Hydrographer had been given approval to produce navigation charts for the country and the countries in West and Central Africa. Therefore, people such as maritime stakeholders will now have to pay for such charts inorder to procure them for their safe navigation."

Capacity for Hydrographic Survey

NNS LANA (A499) was designed and purposely built to enable the NN conduct hydrographic and oceanographic surveys. It is also capable of conducting geophysical studies, search and rescue operations as well as patrol duties. According to the CNS, "the induction of NNS LANA will enhance the capacity of the service to conduct hydrographic survey and provide charting service for safe navigation as well as delivery for maritime security." Noting that the vessel would soon join other NN ships at seas to contribute to the navy's efforts in the defence of the nation's maritime environment, he added that the federal government has embraced the blue economy initiative inline with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal-14 agenda.He said: "The agenda entails the sustainable exploration and exploitation of vast resources in the nation's maritime environment. The provision of quality hydrographic services is key to the development of the various sectors of the blue economy. Therefore, the acquisition of this survey vessel is an affirmation of the federal government of Nigeria's commitment towards the nation's economic development."Gambo further noted that the navy would collaborate with other maritime stakeholders to actualise the country's vision of developing a sustainable economy that would contribute to the nation's socio-economic prosperity.

Maintenance

While thanking President Muhammadu Buhari for the enormous support to the navy's recapitalisation effort, the CNS also pledged that routine maintenance on the vessel would be sacrosanct."She is a specialised and sophisticated vessel, therefore we have consciously procured both consumables and other spare parts that would last the next two to three years while she is in service. Also, the usual dockyard maintenance routine will also be observed just like other vessels are also observed in the course of her service," he added.

Asset to Naval Fleet

Earlier, the Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Jason Gbassa noted that the new acquisition was an asset to the naval fleet as reliable hydrographic data and information from the NN would further guide maritime activitiesHe said: "Putting it in context, NN’s capacity to conduct hydrographic survey that would assure safety of naval and merchant traffic over the sea was significantly impaired with the absence of a hydrographic ship in NN fleet. With NNS LANA joining the fleet, going forward,the maritime industry can be assured of getting improved and reliable hydrographic data and information from the NN to guide maritime activities."According to the FOC, in seafaring, safety is key and can mean life. “All the potentials and prospects man stands to benefit from the sea and by traversing it amounts to nothing without safety.Anything that will keep one away from danger in an unfriendly environment such as the sea is welcome. Therefore, NNS LANA is one such asset hence our joy at receiving the ship", he added. Commending the leadership of the CNS, he said it reflects in his vision to re-energise the NN and motivate its personnel, adding that the command " is grateful for this rare privilege to receive the brand new NNS LANA. I have no doubt that the ship will contribute to safety in the maritime industry as well as to Nigeria’s national security".

CO's Report

Also speaking, Commanding Officer (CO) NNS LANA, Captain Abdullateef Mahmud, who gave report of the sea proceedings said the ship spent 30 days at sea from France to her voyage to Lagos, Nigeria, amassing 440 hours at sea.He said: “Based on the average speed of 10 knots, the ship covered a total distance of 4,005 nautical miles and approximately spent 30 days on the voyage. The ship stopped over at four countries which were Portugal, Spain, Gambia and Ghana.The ship performed satisfactorily well during the voyage except for one oil operation unit that developed a problem which was rectified in Portugal."

Capabilities

NNS LANA (A499) is designed and purposely built to enable the NN conduct hydrographic and oceanographic surveys. It is also capable of conducting geophysical studies, search and rescue operations as well as patrol duties. The ship is equipped with state-of-the-art modern survey equipment as well as a wellequipped 7.6m surface vehicle for shallow water surveys. Furthermore, the ship has an Automatic Weather Station (AWS), wet and dry laboratories, scientific and technical workshops as well as operating and processing rooms for survey data. The machineries include 2 x MTU engines, 3 x CAT main generators/one emergency generator, electric propulsion system and other auxiliaries. The electric propulsion which is operated at survey speed is particularly installed to minimise distortion of data due to machinery noise. The ship has a maximum speed of 14 knots and a capacity of 50 crew.It would also afford Nigeria with the opportunity of keying into the General Bathymetric Charts of the Oceans (GEBCO) Seabed 2030 project and the Global Multi-Resolution Topography (GMRT) synthesis project which would ultimately facilitate Nigeria’s accomplishment of its obligation under SOLAS Convention in accordance with President Muhammadu Buhari’s deliberate and sustained policies on maritime safety and security.Essentially, it is envisaged that the rebirth of NNS LANA would afford the Nigerian Navy Hydrographic Department the leverage to successfully and systematically conduct hydrographic surveys and charting of Nigeria’s waters.

My attention was recently drawn to a statement credited to the Minister of State for Environment, Barr Sharon Ikeazor, and published in the Leadership Newspaper of 17 Sep 20, p.14, captioned “Nigeria Lacks Marine Protected Areas Despite 11,600 sqkm Coastline – Minister”. It was further reported that the Minister observed that the absence of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) prompted the Federal Ministry of Environment (FME) to initiate plans for a National Mangrove Restoration project to assist in the control of coastal erosion, restoration of polluted areas and protecting marine animals.

The assertion/lamentation of the Minister is correct and well- founded. What is, however, incorrect in the Minister’s declaration is the allusion to Nigeria having a coastline of 11,600 sqkm. This is incorrect on 2 grounds. First, Nigeria has a coastline of about 852km and a maritime space of about 315,240sqkm seaward of the baseline. This represents about 34.1 per cent of Nigeria’s landmass of 923,768sqkm. It could also be rightly said that Nigeria’s maritime space is about one-third of Nigeria’s landmass, or Nigeria’s landmass is about 3 times the size of its maritime space. All the 3 representations of Nigeria’s landmass-maritime space figures would be factually correct. Secondly, the unit for the measurement of maritime spaces is nautical mile (nm), while the unit for the measurement of land spaces is the kilometre (km). A coastline, as the name suggests, represents the length of the coast in the form of a line. Although referring to a maritime stretch, the km is often adopted against the nm because of the land-sea interface along the coast. However, the unit “sqkm” is a product of length and breadth signifying the area of bounded spaces, and not a line measurement, as in the case of a coastline.

The fact of the non-existence of MPAs in Nigeria’s maritime domain became evident to me whilst preparing to participate in the First Global Blue Economy Conference in Nairobi, Kenya in 2018, under the auspices of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). This discovery was made during the rapid study of the British Admiralty chart folios covering Nigeria’s maritime domain to identify and classify Nigeria’s MPAs in support of the blue economy ideals, preparatory to the conference. Further consultation with experts in the FME and the Nigerian Institute of Oceanography and Marine Research (NIOMR) validated the observation that there is no MPA or conservation grounds similar to charted Spoil Areas or Foul Grounds in Nigeria’s jurisdictional maritime zones of Internal Waters (IW), Territorial Waters (TW), Contiguous Zone (CZ) and the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Thus, the Minister’s claim is correct on this note.

Comparatively, the MPA is to the hydrosphere what the Games Reserve Park (GRP)/Nature Conservation Area (NCA) is to the lithosphere. They are, by the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) Charting Regulations, to be designated and clearly marked on large scale charts covering the locus of the MPA. This is because an MPA is no different from any other space on the open sea, unless it is surveyed, and properly charted for mariners, particularly fishermen/trawlers, to stay off the charted area in order for the flora and faunas in that protected ecosystem to gestate for greater yield, enhanced sustainability and averting possible species extinction. Below is a sample of MPA designation on a nautical chart.

Sample of MPA on Nautical Chart

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), an MPA is “a clearly defined geographical space, recognized, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values”. Ecosystem services refers to the 4 broad categories of benefits humans derive from natural environment and healthy ecosystems namely provisioning, such as food and water; regulating, such as the control of climate and disease; supporting, such as nutrient cycles and oxygen; and cultural, such as spiritual and recreational benefits.

The UN Database on Protected Areas, which records MPAs submitted by countries, estimates that more than 17,000 MPAs protect more than 25million sqkm of ocean. This implies that nearly 7.5 per cent of the ocean, an area the size of North America, is being protected. However, the Marine Conservation Institute, in its Atlas of Marine Protection, provided a conservative 2.6 per cent of the ocean as being managed in true MPAs. Another important fact about the MPA is that, MPA is one of the ecological conservation tools known as Area Based Management Tools (ABMTs) adopted for ocean sustainability. Different international maritime and maritime-related organizations employ the ABMT to administer different parts of the ocean as follows: Areas of Particular Environmental Interest (APEIs) adopted by the International Seabed Authority (ISA) for the Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ) deep-sea mining, Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas (PSSAs) adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for global shipping routes, and Marine Migratory Species Network (MMSN) adopted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS). Others are Ecologically or Biologically Significant Areas (EBSAs) adopted by UNEP for the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD), Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (MVMEs) adopted by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs), and World Heritage Sites adopted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).It is instructive to note that of all the ABMTs, only the MPA apply to jurisdictional maritime spaces spanning from internal waters to the EEZ.

The establishment of MPAs is one of the essential hallmarks of the existence of the blue economy in any given national maritime domain. The other essentials are the establishment of ocean sustainability strategies, Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) and credible Maritime Security (MS) within designated maritime domains. It is in recognition of the centrality of MPAs to the sustainable development of the oceans, that the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14 (UNSDG 14) tagged “Life Below Water”, established Targets 14.2 and 14.5, mandating the protection and conservation of at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas by 2020. Relatedly, the IUCN, which is an international conservation authority, recommended the protection of at least 30 per cent of the ocean by 2030. Thus, both SDG 14, which is a blue economy SDG, as well as the IUCN validate the establishment of MPAs as credible ocean conservation strategy.

Nigeria is a signatory to the UNSDG, and is expected to establish MPAs under signatory-treaty obligations. Meanwhile, some of the African signatories to the UNSDG have since established their MPAs. For instance, Seychelles, with a coastline of 491km and EEZ of about 1.37 million sqkm, has emplaced over 40,000 sqkm MPA. This is considered to be an area larger than Germany or twice the size of Great Britain, and represent 30 per cent coverage of Seychelles maritime domain. Similarly, South Africa, with a coastline of about 3,900km and EEZ of about 1.5 million sqkm, has established 42 MPAs representing 5 per cent of its maritime domain. Also, Kenya, with a coastline of about 536km and 142,000sqkm EEZ, has established 14 MPAs, 4 of which are fully/highly protected, while 10 are less protected/unknown. However, Nigeria with about 852km coastline and 170, 600 sqkm EEZ, does to have an MPA, in contravention of its UNSDG treaty obligations. Worthy of note is the fact that these 3 countries have adopted the blue economy as a national sustainable development strategy. Thus, it may be fitting to deduce that the non- existence of MPAs in Nigeria’s vast maritime domain is an indicator of the non-adoption/implementation/existence of a blue economy in the country.

The lack of knowledge and awareness of the potential economic value of existing marine resources within the maritime domain, referred to as maritime wealth blindness and prevalent in most developing African countries such as Nigeria, is largely responsible for the absence of MPAs in the country’s maritime space. This is because deep sea research, which is extremely expensive and requires advanced technology, is required to create maritime wealth awareness through purposeful Research and innovation. This has been the bane of NIOMR researches over the years. Hence, NIOMR has not been able to appropriately produce Nigeria’s species composition and spread within the nation’s maritime domain. It has also not been able to provide data on economically important ecosystems such as seamounts, hydrothermal vents, cold seeps and cold-water corals which are rare and vulnerable, but rich in deep sea minerals and Marine Genetic Resources (MGR). The MGRs have great utility value in both existing and upcoming biotechnology applications in the pharmaceutical, chemical and cosmetic industries.

To establish MPAs in Nigeria’s maritime space, all the relevant stakeholders comprising the NIOMR, Federal Department of Fisheries (FDF), FME, Nigerian Navy (NN), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and coastal communities, amongst others, have to be involved. Additional to its statutory functions, NIOMR would have to identify, through sustained research, the relevant ecosystems requiring conservation, while the FDF would have to determine the economic aquatic constituents of the ecosystem. Similarly, the FME would have to access environmental impacts that the non-conservation of such spaces would have on the nation, thereby providing justification(s) for its protection, while NIMASA would be expected to monitor pollution within the MPA. Furthermore, the NN would be expected to survey, chart, provide security and enforce conservation compliance, just as the NPA would be expected to notify shippers of declared MPAs within the port areas, if any. Lastly, the coastal communities would have to be brought on board to provide support through their buy-in on declared MPAs and the provision of local intelligence. There is a cultural dimension to the establishment of MPAs, and this often reside with the coastal communities.

In a blue economy, the Marine Spatial Planning Authority (MSPA), designated through government policy and credible legislation, coordinates all the aforementioned activities aimed at establishing a functional MPA within jurisdictional maritime spaces. However, there is presently no designated MSPA in Nigeria, hence the frequent and unwarranted tussle between different Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government to exercise ultra vires control within the nation’s maritime space. Nigeria is yet to establish a blue economy through appropriate policy formulation and accompanying legislative enactment. This, in part, could be responsible for the absence of MPAs in the nation’s maritime domain.

History was made today in Les Sables d'Olonne France with the launching of the first ever purpose built hydrographic survey vessel by the Nigerian Navy. Speaking at the ceremony at the OCEA shipyard, the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, represented by Rear Admiral Abraham Adaji informed that the new vessel was conceived as a replacement for the Nigerian Navy survey vessel, NNS LANA which was decommissioned about 10 years ago.

According to the CNS, the launching ceremony was a great significance as it marked a giant stride in the efforts towards actualizing the dreams of not only restoring but enhancing Nigerian Navy's survey capability. He also emphasized that surveying and charting play a crucial role in ensuring safe navigation as well as delivery of maritime security, hence, the new vessel will not only enhance the safety of Nigeria's maritime environment but also serve as a critical component of deployment of naval power for enhanced maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea. While stating that the vessel will also play a critical role in protection of maritime resources and preservation of law and order at sea, thus contributing significantly to the promotion of global maritime commerce, the CNS specially thanked the President, Commander in Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari for his unflinching support to the recapitalization of the Nigerian Navy Fleet. Earlier, Mr Fabrice Weinbach representing Mr Roland loassard, the CEO of OCEA, said the "LANA" was the result of the excellent cooperation between the Nigerian Navy and OCEA teams and also thanked the Nigerian Embassy staff and the Nigerian Building survey team for their commitment and professionalism. He also remarked that the new ship demonstrates the willingness of Nigeria to improve the knowledge of the country's waters with a sea proven platform and up-to-date equipment. He also added that the OCEA and Nigerian Navy relations will be strengthened through the supply of integrated logistic support services, including training, to maintain the operational readiness of the crew, the ship "LANA" and her equipment and systems, and the on-site technical assistance.

Also speaking at the occasion, Nigeria's Ambassador to France, Mrs Modupe Enitan Irele highlighted the significance of the ceremony as a manifestation of good Nigeria - French relations. Construction of the new vessel started in 2018 and the vessel is scheduled to join the NN fleet in 2021.

In view of the importance of this information, you are please requested to disseminate for general public awareness.

The ‘Blue Economy’ is a concept that fosters better and more rational use of the world’s oceans or ‘blue’ resources. It emphasizes the close linkages between the ocean, climate change, and the well-being of the people of a given region or country. At its heart, it supports all of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG14 ‘life below water’, and recognizes that this will require ambitious, and coordinated actions to sustainably manage, protect and preserve our ocean now, for the sake of present and future generations. With that in mind, the latest interviewee of the Brazilian Institute for the Law of the Sea (BILOS), Commodore Daniel Atakpa, a senior officer of the Nigerian Navy, and expert on blue economy matters, will share with us valuable insights on that topic.

Q1. Victor Ventura: What separates the blue economy from the “traditional” economy? What is so innovative in that concept?

Commodore Daniel Atakpa: I guess you’d meant “traditional ocean economy”. Well, a proper understanding of the blue economy must, of necessity, start with the initial understanding of the concept and operating principles of traditional ocean economy. The traditional ocean economy is the age-old maritime commerce founded primarily on fisheries (for food), and shipping (for transportation/movement/exploration). These traditional ocean economies subsequently increased in scope with advancements in technology to include offshore oil and gas, as well as marine tourism in western climes. The snag in these ocean and ocean-related activities was the absence/non-observance of sustainability principles as espoused by the Brundtland Commission in its report “Our Common Future”, which views sustainable development as the development that “meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” This is viewed as the balanced intersection of the 3 factors of economy, ecology and social well-being. The traditional ocean economy never operated in the context of these important pillars of sustainability. Thus, from a practical point of view, the blue economy differs from traditional ocean economy on the basis of the infusion of sustainability in the former, and the absence of sustainability in the latter.

Q2. Victor Ventura: How is the concept of blue economy supposed to provoke changes in which the oceans are managed?

Commodore Daniel Atakpa: The concept of blue economy is expected to provoke changes in ocean management through the fundamental operating elements of ocean sustainability and marine spatial planning (MSP). The MSP would emplace and enforce compliance with the 3-dimensional sustainable development principles within designated maritime domains.

Q3. Victor Ventura: Does the blue economy relate to specific maritime spaces (such as the EEZ) or rather to all maritime spaces under national jurisdiction (TS, CZ, EEZ and CS alike)?

Commodore Daniel Atakpa: The blue economy cuts across all maritime zones as contained in UNCLOS. The reason is simple: the marine environment is composed of very fragile ecosystems, and there are no physical boundaries/borders at sea to prevent the movement of unsustainable practices in one maritime zone to the other. Thus, sewage discharges from the land into internal waters may end up in the territorial sea, and continue, if unchecked, to the CZ, EEZ and CS. Recall that Articles 207-212 of UNCLOS identified 6 sources of marine pollution namely pollutions from land-based sources, seabed activities, activities in the Area, dumping, from ships, and atmosphere. Any of these pollutions can be found in any of the maritime zones with grave environmental consequences on zones contiguous to the polluted zone. This provides a good reason for the blue economy sustainability machineries to dominate the entire maritime zones.

Q4. Victor Ventura: What does an entirely “blued” economy ideally look like? Does it mean that a particular state will have achieved full sustainable management of its maritime spaces?

Commodore Daniel Atakpa: An entirely blue economy would imply first, that the littoral state has activated strategies for the operationalization of all the sectors of the blue economy which consist of the traditional and emerging sectors. The traditional sectors are the very old sectors comprising fisheries, shipping, and offshore oil and gas; while the emerging sectors consist of marine biotechnology employing in large part marine genetic resources for variety of products ranging from cosmetics to pharmacopeia amongst others, deep sea mining, offshore renewable energies through wind, wave and thermal vents, sustainable marine leisure and tourism. I must admit that these sectors are more emerging in developing world than in the developed world.

Q5. Victor Ventura: How many avenues for public governmental and private action could the option for a blue economy open for a coastal state such as Nigeria or Brazil?

Commodore Daniel Atakpa: A lot, depending on national interests and blue economy policies or roadmaps. For instance, the Nigerian maritime environment in the resource-rich Gulf of Guinea is believed to be capable of creating 40 million direct and indirect blue economy jobs and generating N7 trillion (US$1.94 billion) annually. These translate to huge opportunities for government and private organizational engagements for job creation, enhance GDP, and overall national development.

Q6. Victor Ventura: Which social actors must engage in the road for effectively implementing a bluer economy strategy?

Commodore Daniel Atakpa: All maritime stakeholders from the ocean-based professionals such as skippers, ocean explorers, hydrographers, marine scientists, and the navies; to ocean-related professionals such as ship builders, chandlers, stevedores, maritime reporters, maritime lawyers/law of the sea experts, and ocean health workers. This list is by no means exhaustive.

Q7. Victor Ventura: How likely is it for poorer, Third World countries such as Nigeria and Brazil, to effectively implement blue economy guidelines nationally? What are, in your opinion, the main requirements for such successful implementation?

Commodore Daniel Atakpa: Very simple. The first driver is a well-informed knowledge of the blue economy from an operational point of view. I must stress that what is predominantly known of the blue economy is blue economy concepts. The operationalization of these concepts is what I believe developing world would require to effectively establish a functional blue economy. Let me also add that there is presently a dearth of the operational knowledge of the blue economy. The second is the national/political will to do the needful, where the operational knowledge has been discovered. This, I have found out, is the primary challenge to the implementation of blue economy among developing countries. When these 2 are right, every other requirement would fall in place through proper planning and implementation.

Q8. Victor Ventura: What role is reserved for national Navies in implementing a shift towards a bluer economy?

Commodore Daniel Atakpa: Ocean sustainability patrols, and the enforcement of MSP directives in accordance with step 8 of the IOC/UNESCO 10-step guide for MSP. This would mean the expansion of the scope of Ken Booth’s traditional peacetime roles of navies.

Q9. Victor Ventura: What is the role of education and technological innovation in achieving a bluer economy?

Commodore Daniel Atakpa: Education through the creation of sustainability awareness and the resourcefulness of the oceans to stem its pollution is central to achieving blue economy ocean sustainability. Innovation is also key to its development because of the dynamic nature of the maritime environment. The present blue economy awareness is largely driven by the combined effects of education and innovation. For instance, the present knowledge of the deep-sea mineral and marine genetic resources was brought about by education/innovations, which were either lacking or in their incubating stages at the time of the drafting of UNCLOS.

Q10. Victor Ventura: What could the role of an Institute such as BILOS be, in terms of promoting a bluer economy? Are there international funds for blue economy projects that you are aware of?

Commodore Daniel Atakpa: A law of the sea institute such as the BILOS could play a significant role in blue economy advocacy and training in ocean governance provisions of UNCLOS. On international blue economy funds, I’ll admit I am not aware of any particular fund specifically dedicated to the blue economy. However, I am aware there is the UNSDG Fund established after the adoption of the UNSDG in September 2015. The fund is aimed at assisting UN member States eradicate poverty in their respective countries. Perhaps the fund may be accessed through the SDG 14 implementation strategy plan – I hope so. Also, I recall there were some international bodies at the 2019 European Union Maritime Day held in Lisbon, who had indicated their willingness to financially support individuals and institutions championing the blue economy ideals, particularly in the area of marine liters prevention.

Q11. Victor Ventura: How relevant would international cooperation be, in terms of fostering blue economy initiatives between countries? Would you envisage a partnership between Nigerian and Brazil, given both countries’ oceanic features?

Commodore Daniel Atakpa: The future of the blue economy is a collaborative future on the basis of ocean global commons. Although Brazil is geographically distant from Nigeria (smiles), notwithstanding, both countries could mutually engage through diplomatic/bilateral cooperation to exchange blue economy ideas/expertise, as well as implementation strategies. One area that readily comes to mind, as a hydrographer, is in joint hydrographic training/exercises for mapping blue economy spaces. Another area, as a law of the sea expert, is through joint law of the sea conferences/seminars/workshops on blue economy. I think the opportunities for partnership are as varied as our individual and collective expertise would allow.

Concluding word: I sincerely thank you Vic for the opportunity given me to share my thoughts on the blue economy. I look forward to more engagements in the future. Fair winds.

Dear Colleagues, Patrons and Friends of the Nigerian Hydrographic Society. It is with mixed feelings that I speak to you on this special day of the 2020 World Hydrographic Day (WHD) celebration. This is partly because the impact of Covid-19 pandemic could not allow us to gather as we used to do in order to rub minds on pertinent issues towards advancing our noble profession in Nigeria and partly because of the tears on our eyes due to the sudden demise of our former 2nd Vice President and former Chairman of Warri Zone; Surv Chris Ojukoko. We are surely going to miss his invaluable contributions towards the success and progress of NHS. Notwithstanding, we join his family to submit to the will of God Almighty and fervently pray God to grant them the fortitude to dear this irreparable loss.

As you all know, the purpose of the WHD is primarily to publicize the importance of hydrography and why it is still relevant to humanity. So with the current imperatives of Covid-19 protocols, the team for this year’s WHD, which is "Hydrography - Enabling Autonomous Technologies" could not have been more apt. This is because the use of Autonomous Technologies, like the Autonomous Surface Vehicles (ASV), Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV) and even flying drones to capture high accuracy, high-resolution bathymetry data for nearshore and coastal environments clearly prevents the spread of the Corona Virus from person to person. Therefore, we must start looking at optimizing the use of these technologies now and in the coming years so that we can continue to provide marine geospatial solutions to mariners in the most acceptable standard, while staying safe in the midst of the prevailing pandemic.

The year under review has been quite challenging, but I am glad to note that we have covered a lot of grounds in our quest to develop hydrographic capacity. As you are aware, the Navy who is our greatest partner, as well as the National Charting Authority and regulator of hydrographic surveys within Nigerian waters has produced a number of marine geospatial solutions, ranging from navigational charts to tidal information among others. Recently, the Navy published Nigeria’s first Electronic Navigational Chart (ENC), NG 525010 to demonstrate the level of hydrographic development in Nigeria. With you playing your roles under the Crowd Sourced Bathymetry initiative of the International Hydrographic Organization, through timely deposition of your bathymetric data at the Nigerian Navy Hydrographic Office, as required, we are sure to be on the right path towards helping our dear Nation to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 14 of the UN. I, therefore, urge you not to relent in ensuring the maintenance of the right professional ethics and standards in your survey practices so we can consolidate on the gains made so far.

As we prepare to work in the most treacherous weather and ocean, as well as economic conditions in the coming year and beyond, let us endeavor to update survey skills and equipment so as to remain relevant in the ever evolving hydrographic technologies.

Finally, I wish to inform you that the National Executives have set up a number of committees and sub-committees to ramp up the Society. It is hoped that before 2021 WHD, the works of these committees would yield positive dividends to our Society, which all of us would enjoy. On this note, I want to appreciate you all for the confidence reposed on me to lead this noble Society. My special thanks go to the 1st and 2nd VPs and other National Executives for their contributions and supports during the year under review. I also want to thank the 2020 WHD Organizing Committee, who has made tremendous arrangements for the hosting the event, which was eventually scuttled by Covid-19. Your experiences will definitely be brought to bear in 2021, by the Grace of the Almighty God.

As Stakeholders in the profession of hydrography in Nigeria, we still have a long way to go, but through joint efforts we will succeed!

Thanks and God bless you all. Long live Nigeria, Long live the NHS.

The consolidation on Nigerian Navy (NN) initial breakthrough in production of locally made nautical chart for use in Nigerian Maritime environment is not only commendable, but also aligned with local content policy of the federal government. The production of the Maritime Chart may come to many as a surprise, especially in this era of global lock down aimed at curtailing the spread of Chinese plague otherwise known as COVID-19 but to the Nigerian Navy it is a dream come true. This is so because the Service has in the recent time invested in training and retraining of its Officers and ratings in the aforesaid speciality, with the overall objective of improving navigation in Nigerian waterways..

In 2018, Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas said that plans were underway for the nation to commence in-house nautical charting of her waterways. He noted then that hydrographers were already receiving needed trainings and data were being compiled for that purpose. Vice Admiral Ibas gave this insight at the opening of a five-day biennial conference and exhibition themed “Regional awareness on maritime geospatial knowledge,” organised by the International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO) and the Eastern Atlantic Hydrographic Commission (EIHC) in 2018 in Lagos. “The country had already completed the development of national charting scheme and built the right capacity for acquisition of hydrographic data both within the inshore and offshore waters of Nigeria,” he said. At the time, he said Nigeria had developed limited capacity in the building strategy, which deals with the ability to produce nautical charts. “At the moment, Nigeria has completed the development of National Charting Scheme and has commenced requisite training and compilation of data for production of nautical charts.

Currently, Nigeria produces training charts, at the Nigerian Navy Hydrographic Office which are used in many maritime institutions across the country for training purposes. I can only ask that you do more by way of providing billets in Cartography and accreditation of our Hydrographic School in Port Harcourt so as to consolidate on the gains achieved so far, and subsequently give mariners better hydrographic service delivery in West African sub-region,” he further explained. Meanwhile, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin has commended the Nigerian Navy (NN) for the production of the second locally made chart of some parts of Nigerian waters by the Nigerian Navy Hydrographic Office (NNHO). In a congratulatory message to the Chief of Naval Staff, officers and ratings of the NNHO, General Olonisakin expressed profound delight in the fact that the recent products of the NNHO, harbour and operational charts, are certified and recognized by international institutions. He averred that this achievement is coming at a time when the need to utilize indigenous resources has been underscored by recent global events.

Coordinator Defence Media Operations, Major General John Enenche in a statement said the NN recorded a significant operational milestone with the production of the second indigenous navigational chart of some parts of Nigerian waters by the Nigerian Navy Hydrographic Office (NNHO). Disclosing the specific areas that the chart covered, the statement said, “The new chart covers parts of Badagry Creek, from Ogunkobo, through Navy Town and Mile 2 to Tin-Can Island in Lagos waters. Work on the chart started in 2019, and with the completion of the chart, the NNHO has now commenced work on its electronic version which will be forwarded to the International Centre for Electronic Navigational Charts for validation and release. In the last one year, the NNHO has produced a number of nautical products which are currently used by Nigerian Navy ships and establishments. These include harbour chart of Nigerian Navy Ship Beecroft and Nigerian Naval Dockyard Limited water fronts, port guide of Lagos harbour and operations charts of the entire Eastern Naval Command”. Others, General Enenche said are maneuvering sheets for tactical navigation and a number of training charts among others. He posited that the International Hydrographic Community, particularly the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO), has acknowledged the strides made by the Nigerian Navy in chart production. He also revealed that the UKHO has accepted gradual hand over of the survey data covering Nigerian waters which are held in their archive and also to adopt NNHO’s charts rather than producing new ones, adding this is a confirmation that NNHO’s nautical products meet international (IHO) standards.

“The NNHO wishes to maintain this standard to facilitate safety of navigation within Nigerian waters and seamless takeover of the charting functions of Nigerian waters from UKHO. In line with the coordination role of the Nigerian Navy in Hydrography, the NNHO is also currently developing a harmonized Standard Operating Procedures to guide all hydrographic survey activities conducted in Nigerian waters by private survey companies and sister government agencies. This would ensure that data received from any of these survey companies/government agencies are accurate enough to be included in a chart,” the statement concluded. While going down memory lane, the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ubok-Ete Ibas said, “History has it that some years ago, Nigeria could not predict its tides neither could it produce the accompanying Tidal Prediction Tables for its ports and training charts for its Maritime Institutions; but with the steady progress made in hydrographic development, these products are now being produced in Nigeria”.

The CNS expressed hope that the 2018 biennial conference would provide an opportunity to renew contacts discuss problems and prospects of mutual interest as well as cover a wide range of important issues relating to the collection, processing and dissemination of Maritime Safety Information (MSI), Marine Spatial Data Infrastructure (MSDI) and data management among others. That hope and dream has no doubt materialized with the production of the second locally made Maritime Chart by the Nigerian Navy, a feat that had been applauded by many including the Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin.

The Hydrographer of Nigeria Rear Admiral Chukwuemeka Okafor at the same conference highlighted the importance of hydrography in the following words: “The primary purpose of hydrography is to protect human lives at sea by facilitating safe navigation but far beyond this hydrography contributes directly to the efficiency of maritime transport by allowing voyages to be shortened”. He explained that hydrography provides primary data essential for coastal zone management and development of ports and other coastal infrastructures. “Hydrographic data are critical requirements for the selection of routes for submarine pipelines and cables, selection of sites for wind-farms and offshore oil and gas platforms, as well as, underwater constructions and developments. In today’s unending maritime boundary disputes, hydrography supports the delimitation of maritime boundaries and Blue Economy. It underpins the forecasting of the likely spread and track of oil slicks, as part of oil spill response,” Rear Admiral Okafor enumerated.

The Nigerian Navy has been lauded for the local production of the second indigenous Navigational Chart of some parts of Nigerian waters by the Nigerian Navy Hydrographic Office (NNHO).

The Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olonisakin, in a congratulatory message to the Chief of Naval Staff, Officers and ratings, signed by the Coordinator Defence Media Operations, Major General John Enenche, noted with joy that the operational charts and other products by the NNHO are certified by international institutions.

He stressed that “this achievement is coming at a time when the need to utilize indigenous resources has been underscored by recent global events”.The message read in part, “it could be recalled that the NN recorded a significant operational milestone with the production of the second indigenous navigational chart of some parts of Nigerian waters by the Nigerian Navy Hydrographic Office (NNHO). The new chart covers parts of Badagry Creek, from Ogunkobo, through Navy Town and Mile 2 to Tin-Can Island in Lagos waters.

“Work on the chart started in 2019. With the completion of the chart, the NNHO has now commenced work on its electronic version which will be forwarded to the International Centre for Electronic Navigational Charts for validation and release”.It added further that, “in the last one year, the NNHO has produced a number of nautical products which are currently used by Nigerian Navy ships and establishments. These include harbour chart of Nigerian Navy Ship BEECROFT and Nigerian Naval Dockyard Limited water fronts, port guide of Lagos harbour and operations charts of the entire Eastern Naval Command. Others are maneuvering sheets for tactical navigation and a number of training charts among others”.

It will be recalled that the International Hydrographic Community, particularly the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO), has acknowledged the strides made by the Nigerian Navy in chart production.Consequently, the UKHO has accepted gradual hand over of the survey data covering Nigerian waters which are held in their archive and also to adopt NNHO’s charts rather than producing new ones. This is a confirmation that NNHO’s nautical products meet international (IHO) standards. The NNHO wishes to maintain this standard to facilitate safety of navigation within Nigerian waters and seamless takeover of the charting functions of Nigerian waters from UKHO.

In line with the coordination role of the NN in Hydrography, the NNHO is also currently developing a harmonized Standard Operating Procedures to guide all hydrographic survey activities conducted in Nigerian waters by private survey companies and sister government agencies. This would ensure that data received from any of these survey companies/government agencies are accurate enough to be included in a chart.

Earth's land-based resources are fast depleting on account of rising global population and the tragedy of the commons phenomenon. The tragedy of the commons embodies the economic-cum-ecological philosophy in which shared natural resources are exploited and overexploited without due regard to resource finiteness, particularly in an unregulated environment. It imperils, deliberately or unintentionally, future generations' chances to profit from the same resources, thereby making it the predominant factor inimical to sustainability. Land-based resources have borne the brunt of this plundering over the years because man, by nature, is terrestrial and therefore a subjugator of the terra firma as a global common. This negative impact becomes significantly evident when viewed against rising global population which hit the 7 billionth mark on 31 October 2011 and estimated to peak between 9 and10 billion by 2050.

To meet the resource needs of the rising global population amidst earth’s dwindling land-based resources, the ocean, for now, (the author believes the outer space would be the next) has been singled out as the generation-next resource base. The ocean is targeted because of its resource endowment and capabilities. It is capable of providing a means of livelihood for over 3 billion people, generating over US$ 2.4 trillion per annum, as well as creating over 3 billion jobs and employment amongst others. Of these global estimates, Nigeria’s maritime economy alone is believed to have the capacity for creating and generating over 40 million jobs and N7 trillion annually. However, these enormous ocean potentials expose it to the likelihood of suffering the same tragedy that characterized land-based resource extraction. Thus, to regulate, with the intent of preventing the likely carry-over of the tragedy of the commons from land to the oceans, the blue economy was conceived as a global response to the sustainable exploitation of ocean resources.

Prof Gunter Pauli first used the term blue economy in 2010 as a wealth creation strategy through nature-inspired derivatives on the basis of environmental correctness. Pauli’s focus, at best, was on land-based resources. The term, however, evolved into its current conception as a purely ocean-based and ocean-related concept through the Rio+20 declaration of 2012. The Small Island Developing States (SIDS) at the Rio+20 conference had advocated for the sustainable use of their ocean resources against the backdrop of their peculiar challenges of limited land resources, environmental/ecological vulnerabilities through natural disasters as well geographic remoteness and isolation which does not offer them as much economic footprint as mainland nations. Their significant numerical strength of 52 out of 194 United Nations member states provided them with the requisite negotiating leverage. Thus, the blue economy first gained traction with SIDS and later with mainland coastal states.

At the core of the global blue economy concept is the concurrent pursuit of economic growth from the oceans, while at the same time maintaining, at all times, healthy oceans to service succeeding generations. Before the advent of the blue economy, national socioeconomic development had always been at the expense of environment well-being. Therefore, the blue economy seeks to de-couple socioeconomic development from environmental degradation for enhanced national development. The blue in the concept derives from the characteristic blue colour of the ocean. Although the sky possesses similar blue colour, it however does not serve as a resource medium, at least for the moment.

The economics of a blue economy includes, besides traditional fishing and shipping, innovative ocean exploitation for marine biotechnology, deep sea mining, maritime tourism and renewable ocean energy amongst others. The blue economy, as an ecological economics development strategy, is reinforced by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (UNSDG) 14 which advocates the sustainable use of ocean resources. Thus, it can be rightly deduced that the blue economy strategy, as currently championed by its advocates, derives its international legitimacy from the UNSDG 14. The UNSDG is the developmental strategy successor to the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). It is a collection of 17 purposeful development goals and 169 targets to drive the goals adopted by the UN in 2015 with a 2030 fulfilment agenda. The UNSDG is universally binding on all UN member states, unlike the MDG which made distinction between developed and developing member states.

A cardinal focus of UNSDG in general and Goal 14 in particular is the principle of sustainability or sustainable development. Sustainable development, as conceived by the Brundtland Commission of 1987, is development that meets the need of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. The sustainable development of nations, particularly littoral states, from the oceans is therefore the raison d’être of blue economy. Thus, blue economy symbolizes and comprehends that form of maritime economy which employs effective regulation through ocean governance regime to achieve ocean sustainability for enhanced economic growth and improved citizenry well-being. A proper understanding of the concept begins with the understanding that all littoral states operate one form of maritime economy or the other by default. While the maritime economy exploited ocean resources under a tragedy of the commons principle, blue economy seeks to exploit ocean resources under an international sustainable development framework. Thus, the sustainability constituent of blue economy differentiates it from its age-old traditional maritime economy variant.

A balanced study of, and research on blue economy would inexorably be predicated on sustainable development theory which stands out as an appropriate theoretical framework for blue economy researches. The sustainable development theoretical framework advocates that economic development must go side-by-side environmental sustainability and social well-being in a manner as not to imperil future generations’ chances of developing therefrom. It is represented by the balanced intersection of the environment, society and economy. There have been differing views on the prioritization of the 3 components of sustainable development. Some scholars have advocated the allocation of greater weight to environment while others have advocated similar weight for society. There is, however, a general consensus on the allocation of the least weight to the economy, which has been the stimulus for the overexploitation of earth’s resources over the years with its attendant anti-sustainability outcomes.

The scientific measurement of ocean sustainability in an all-inclusive environmental, social and economic manner has been a major challenge in the assessment of the developmental impacts of blue economy since its inception. This challenge is an inherent constraint of the sustainability concept. It is for this reason that marine data (scientific ocean data comprising biological, chemical, oceanographic, meteorological and geological data) and maritime data (economic ocean data composed of blue economy investment data and percentage contribution of ocean resources to national Gross Domestic Product etc) constitute fundamental aspects of blue economy assessments. In the absence of adequate and relevant data, when and where needed, computing sustainability becomes difficult, if not impossible, and ultimately defeats the essence of the blue economy. These data which make up the blue economy statistics, are expected to provide decision makers with accurate information necessary for good planning for activities in the maritime domain consistent with ocean sustainability principles. Principal ocean sustainability principles include the establishment of Marine Protected Areas (MPA) and Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) regimes amongst others. These principles and practices give full effect to the sustainable development constituent of blue economy when effectively administered.

The MSP exemplifies the coordination of all maritime stakeholders within a given national maritime space for regulated and non-conflicting activities within the space with respect to who does what, when, where, why and how. Similarly, MPA ensures that certain maritime spaces are protected from ecosystem degradation within specified periods or ad infinitum. In essence, under MSP, the coordinator plans and administers national maritime space for the prevention of the tragedy of the commons. Thus, MSP plays a most critical role in the actualization of sustainable development under a blue economy. Consequently, littoral states seeking to emplace blue economy regimes must of necessity establish effective MSP where there is none, or strengthen existing MSP (which in reality may exist by other nomenclatures) where they are weak.

Three countries, one in Europe (Republic of Ireland) and 2 in Africa (Republics of Seychelles and South Africa) provide exemplary models for the establishment of blue economy. Ireland started her blue economy project in 2012 through an Integrated Marine Plan under the Harnessing Our Ocean Wealth (HOOW) policy. Under the Plan, Ireland established 8 blue economy enablers comprising the Clean Green Marine, maritime security and Research and Development (R&D) amongst others. Similarly, Seychelles started her blue economy project in 2015 by establishing the Blue Economy Strategy Roadmap Implementation (BESRI), Blue Economy Department (BED) under the Ministry of Finance, Blue Economy Research Institute (BERI), MSP Infrastructure and MPAs.11 Also, South Africa established her blue economy in 2014 through Operation Phakisa by establishing Ocean Economy Labs (OEL), an Ocean Act, an integrated ocean governance regime, national MSP and a Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) for the blue economy under the Presidency.

The 3 model countries provide the essential and mandatory frameworks required for the establishment and effective operationalization of the blue economy. These are credible legal and task specific institutional frameworks as well as MSP, maritime security and R&D amongst others. The net importance of these policies and frameworks are evident in their respective pre and post blue economy era Human Development Indices (HDI), which is the United Nations gold standard for the evaluation of national development. Ireland had HDI of 0.902 in 2012 and 0.923 in 2016, while Seychelles had 0.756 in 2014 And 0.782 in 2016. Meanwhile, South Africa’s blue economy project created 220 jobs and secured US$32.1 million in stakeholders’ investments in the first year of its implementation. It is also estimated to contribute US$ 1.3 billion to the GDP and create over one million jobs by 2033.Thus, the establishment of a well-articulated legal and institutional frameworks, as the blue economy first order of business, is a sine qua non. Relatedly, the emplacement of an effective maritime security, R&D and the maintenance of adequate and accessible national marine/maritime databank must of necessity follow up on the legal and institutional frameworks in order for blue economy to thrive credibly.

Three countries considered as being in the forefront of blue economy implementation – Republics of Ireland, Seychelles and South Africa – provide would-be implementers of blue economy with useful lessons. The lessons include the need for well-articulated blue economy policy, robust legal and institutional frameworks, effective maritime security as well as adequate and accessible marine and maritime data among others. Two of these lessons, blue economy legal and institutional frameworks, would be discussed in this piece. It is important to establish from the outset that blue economy legal and institutional frameworks are intrinsically linked because the former precipitates the latter, and both are triggered by blue economy policy. blue economy policy articulates the policy direction of littoral states (although landlocked states can also emplace blue economy policies subject to the provisions of Arts 71 and 87 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) for the attainment of sustainable development from the ocean. The 2012 Harnessing Our Ocean Wealth (HOOW) policy document of the Republic of Ireland, the Blue Economy Strategy Roadmap Implementation (BESRI) of the Republic of Seychelles and the Operation Phakisa policy document of the Republic of South Africa were initiated preparatory to the establishment of blue economy regimes in the respective countries. One unique blue economy principle that featured in the three different policies is the centrality of Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) to an operative blue economy. The MSP would be discussed in detail in subsequent editions. In Nigeria, the 2 developed maritime economy sectors are the shipping and fisheries sectors. There is however currently no single comprehensive policy bridging these 2 sectors under a maritime economy regime. Nigeria’s shipping policy (considered obsolete) is a stand-alone policy. Similarly, the Agricultural Promotion Policy (2016–2020) addresses agricultural objectives to the exclusion of fisheries which the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) superintends. Meanwhile, the National Fisheries Development Committee (NFDC), which is the highest policy formulating body on fisheries matters in Nigeria, appears to operate in isolation from FMARD. Thus, there is no fusion of policies between key maritime stakeholders. This does not allow for synergized ocean economy development and accountability. More importantly, this form of arrangement betrays the essence of MSP which aims at unifying and coordinating all maritime stakeholders in the national maritime space for the attainment of ocean sustainability alongside economic development through shared and common policy direction. The shared policy objectives are in turn translated into legal and institutional frameworks necessary for driving national blue economy regimes.

Legal Framework

The blue economy legal framework connotes legislative enactments for the establishment of blue economy under a balanced 3-dimensional (economy, environment and society) development. To give effect to her blue economy policy, the Republic of South Africa established the Ocean Act and the Integrated Ocean Governance regime. The Ocean Act was necessary to give Operation Phakisa the force of law as a blue economy component of South Africa’s national development plan 2030. Operation Phakisa created 220 jobs and secured USD 32.1 million in stakeholder’s investments in the first year of its implementation. Similarly, the United States of America (USA) Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Conservation and Management Act (MSA) of 1976 was amended in 2007 to enable her achieve long-term sustainability in fisheries. The amendment instituted a fish consumption regime whereby about 85 per cent of USA fish consumption is caught, grown or processed in other countries, thus allowing her time to replenish her domestic fish stocks. Although this has its disadvantage because each fish bought from a country with less stringent sustainability standards contributes to the decline of global fisheries. Notwithstanding, the regime helped the USA to sustainably grow her ocean economy which contributed USD359 billion to her GDP and created 3 million jobs and 149,000 business establishments in 2013; up from significantly lower figures in the pre-amendment era. Thus, the enactment of sustainable maritime legislations (where there is none) and amendment of obsolete ones to accommodate sustainability principles is a prerequisite for the establishment of blue economy. Some of Nigeria’s shipping and fisheries laws have generated areas of operational conflict and duplication of statutory functions while others are simply obsolete requiring amendment. For instance, there exist marginal conflict areas between the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) operations and some other maritime agencies (inadvertently created by their establishment acts and deliberately exploited by their respective operators). This has led to inter-agency rivalries, loss of national revenue and a clog in the wheel of progress in some instances. Similarly, Nigeria’s Sea Fisheries Act 1992 does not have provision for Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IUUF) and other evolving fisheries sustainability principles not envisaged at the time of its drafting. Thus, for Nigeria to emplace a blue economy regime, there is the need to rejig her obsolete legislations to conform to present day ocean sustainability realities.

Institutional Framework

The blue economy institutional framework covers the gamut of administrative and operational maritime entities established through legislative frameworks to actualize blue economy sustainable development objectives. The MSP is usually pivotal in blue economy institutional framework. It blends effective and judicious utilization of national maritime space by all maritime stakeholders through professional coordination. The MSP administrator is a versatile maritime expert per excellence. The Republic of Seychelles created the Blue Economy Department (BED) in 2015 to administer her blue economy project. Since its establishment, the BED (which actually matches her small economy of USD1.5 billion GDP and a population of less than 100 thousand as against Nigeria’s over USD 490 billion GDP and a population of over 180 million) has been the sole administrator of the country’s blue economy and answers to the central government on all blue economy matters. Similarly, under Operation Phakisa, a Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) domiciled in the Presidency provides the Presidency with a weekly monitoring report on the country’s blue economy. These mechanisms establish proper coordination and accountability for both countries’ blue economy regimes. Nigeria’s array of maritime institutions includes NPA, NIMASA, Nigeria Shippers Council (NSC), Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) Oron, Federal Department of Fisheries (FDF) and the Nigerian Institute of Oceanography and Marine Research (NIOMR) among others. The existence of some of these institutions under different ministries that operate independent of the other does not allow for proper coordination of the blue economy activities and proper accountability for the blue economy worth of the nation. Also, such arrangement tends to put a strain on national budget through different budgeting arrangements.

A Way Forward

Hereunder is a suggested progressive approach to the establishment of a blue economy in Nigeria. The first task is to establish a blue economy policy by constituting a team of maritime, economic and ecological experts to fashion out an all-inclusive blue economy policy. I designate this team the Blue Economy Implementation Strategy Team (BEIST). The Team is to, among other things, conduct lectures, town hall meetings, conferences and seminars and workshops on blue economy with maritime stakeholders across the country with the aim of collating their respective views on the planned blue economy regime. The Team is to articulate the different stakeholders’ positions into a policy direction for the blue economy. Stakeholders are generally composed of government and non-governmental bodies. The governmental bodies include but not limited to Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) such as the Federal Ministries of Transport, FMAD, Environment, Culture and Tourism, Nigerian Navy, NIMASA, NPA, NSC, FDF, NIOMR, National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) and MAN. The non-governmental bodies on the other hand include shipping companies under the aegis of Ship Owners Association of Nigeria (SOAN), fishing companies under the aegis of Nigerian Trawler Owners Association (NITOA), the academia under the aegis of Nigerian Maritime universities and Institutes (NMUI), Maritime Writers Association of Nigeria among others.The BEIST is to draft a Blue Economy Bill (BEB) from the articulated views/comments and expert inputs of stakeholders. The Bill is to include among others, the establishment of a MSP authority. The body could be a coordinating ministry, department or agency empowered to superintend all blue economy stakeholders in the country. The blue economy coordinating ministry, department or agency is to be headed by an administrator who is a distinguished maritime expert in both professional competence and high moral rectitude whose primary focus would be selfless service to the nation. These strategies, in my humble view, would serve as the very first step in the establishment of a credible blue economy for Nigeria.