Nigeria expands Deep Blue Project

Nigeria has announced plans to expand its Deep Blue Project to critical coastal and maritime corridors, including the Bakassi Peninsula and Igbokoda, to further strengthen its maritime security architecture. This initiative, led by Gboyega Oyetola, Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, aims to consolidate the gains already made in combating piracy. The Nigeria — Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) recently graduated 492 advanced combat personnel for the project, who underwent specialized training in several countries. Since the project's establishment in 2021, Nigeria has recorded zero piracy incidents in its territorial waters for four years, and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea has declined by over 70 percent. The project utilizes integrated air, land, and sea assets with advanced surveillance and rapid response capabilities. This expansion is linked to President Bola Tinubu's broader economic agenda, emphasizing maritime security's importance for economic growth, trade facilitation, and investment promotion.