The Provisional Committee of the Proposed Nigerian Coast Guard (PC-NCG) has urged the Federal Government to conduct a comprehensive review of Nigeria’s maritime security system following the lifting of the United States Coast Guard’s Condition of Entry restrictions on Nigerian vessels.
The committee welcomed the removal of the 12-year restriction but warned that the development should prompt accountability and institutional reforms rather than celebration.
Key Highlights
PC-NCG describes the 12-year US Coast Guard restriction as an avoidable maritime security failure.
Nigeria was placed under Condition of Entry measures in 2014 after identified maritime security gaps remained unresolved.
The committee calls for a national maritime security audit to assess the cost and causes of the prolonged restriction.
PC-NCG says Nigeria needs stronger civil maritime security structures alongside the Nigerian Navy.
The group insists a Nigerian Coast Guard would complement existing maritime agencies rather than replace them.
In a statement signed by its Director of Communication and Public Affairs, Dr. Piriye Kiyaramo, on behalf of the Chief Executive and Accounting Officer, Capt. Noah Ichaba, PC-NCG described the restriction as “an avoidable, self-inflicted institutional burden” that exposed weaknesses in Nigeria’s maritime security architecture.
The committee said the lifting of the restriction should be viewed as an opportunity for reflection and reform, questioning why Nigeria remained under the measure for more than a decade.
“The real question is not why the restriction was finally lifted. The question is why Nigeria carried it for twelve years,” Capt. Ichaba stated.
Nigeria was notified on March 26, 2013, of maritime security deficiencies identified by the United States Coast Guard and was given recommendations to address the concerns. However, after a subsequent assessment found that the issues had not been fully resolved, the Condition of Entry was imposed in 2014.
Under the restriction, Nigerian-bound vessels faced additional security requirements, documentation procedures and delays before travelling to the United States. The measures were linked to compliance with the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code, with economic implications for operators and the wider maritime sector.
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PC-NCG said Nigeria spent significant resources managing the impact of the restriction and called for a full assessment of the financial and economic cost of the delay.
“How much public money was spent? How many delegations travelled? How much commercial time was lost? Nigerians deserve to know what those twelve years cost,” the statement said.
The committee commended the Federal Government, the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), port authorities, terminal operators and other stakeholders involved in resolving the issue.
However, it urged the government and the National Assembly to undertake a National Maritime Security Audit to determine the cost of the restriction, why it took 12 years to resolve and areas where Nigeria’s maritime security system remains fragmented.
PC-NCG stressed that the US Coast Guard’s concerns focused on the effectiveness of Nigeria’s civil maritime security framework rather than the strength of the Nigerian Navy.
“A country can have a powerful Navy and still require specialised institutions for maritime law enforcement, port security, search and rescue, and coastal policing,” Ichaba said.
The committee maintained that the proposed Nigerian Coast Guard would not replace existing institutions such as the Nigerian Navy, NIMASA, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) or National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA).
“The Navy must not be the loser. But the Navy must not be the obstacle. A strong Coast Guard does not mean a weak Navy. A strong Navy does not mean Nigeria cannot have a Coast Guard. Specialisation is not duplication. Clarity is not competition,” it said.
PC-NCG warned that Nigeria must strengthen its maritime institutions to prevent future regulatory failures.
“Do not wait twelve years again. Do not wait for another foreign regulator to identify a weakness. Build capacity before the crisis,” the statement added.
The committee reiterated that the establishment of a Nigerian Coast Guard would support maritime security, law enforcement, coastal protection and the development of the country’s blue economy.
