The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has warned that Nigeria’s offshore environment is facing urgent ecological threats that endanger marine ecosystems, public health, and navigational safety.
Speaking in Port Harcourt at a stakeholders’ sensitisation programme on Offshore Waste Reception Facilities, NIMASA’s Executive Director of Operations, Fatai Adeyemi, said the offshore space is critical to powering industries and creating livelihoods but requires immediate and sustained protection.
“The objective of this programme is to increase awareness and strengthen collaboration among operators, regulators, service providers, and communities to ensure waste reception and disposal practices meet the highest environmental standards,” Adeyemi said.
“By doing so, we protect our oceans while aligning with global best practices and international maritime regulations.”
He added that the agency remains committed to advancing Nigeria’s Blue Economy agenda by ensuring compliance with international conventions such as MARPOL.
Also speaking, NIMASA’s Director of Marine Environment Management, Dimowo Heaky, described the initiative as a key step toward eliminating intentional pollution at sea.
“From oily residues and sewage to garbage and noxious liquids, every form of ship-borne waste threatens ecosystems, coastal communities, and the climate,” he warned.
Heaky emphasised the importance of translating policies into practice, stressing that MARPOL is not just a convention but a pact between humanity and the oceans.
The Managing Director/CEO of XPO Marine, Wellington Agharese, concessionaire for Eastern Region Offshore Waste Reception Facilities, highlighted the region’s central role in Nigeria’s offshore oil and gas sector.
“This mandate is both an operational responsibility and a collective commitment to safeguard our waters while enabling sustainable offshore energy development,” he said.
Agharese called for stronger collaboration among stakeholders, noting that safeguarding Nigeria’s maritime environment cannot be achieved in isolation.
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