The National Boundary Commission says it will operationalise the Extended Continental Shelf approved by the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) in 2025.

NBC boss Adamu Adaji disclosed this in Abuja at the 2024 end-of-year media briefing on Thursday.

Mr Adaji explained that the extended continental shelf would greatly benefit Nigeria, considering its rich natural and mineral resources.

He added that a capacity-building for members of staff, including officers training in Tanzania, which focused on managing the extended continental shelf, had been conducted.

He also said that the commission would develop a road map for sustainable exploitation of maritime resources in compliance with international laws.

The continental shelf is the natural submerged prolongation of a country’s land territory.

On May 14, a presidential committee briefed President Bola Tinubu on the approval of the extended continental shelf by the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf.

The extension of the continental shelf was beyond 200 nautical miles and sovereignty over an additional 16,300 square kilometres of maritime boundaries, about five times the size of Lagos.

Meanwhile, NBC said it would deploy drones, advanced geospatial technologies, and mapping tools to improve the country’s boundary management accuracy and efficiency in 2025.

(NAN)