Defence Minister Mohammed Badaru has reiterated the federal government’s commitment to harnessing the full potential of the nation’s maritime resources for economic prosperity.

“Under the visionary leadership of President Bola Tinubu, we are committed to harnessing the full potential of our maritime resources and opportunities to take Nigeria out of the present economic doldrums to birth a diversified economy for sustainable growth and development,” he said.

Mr Badaru spoke in Abuja on Friday at the commemoration of the 2024 World Hydrography Day, organised by the Nigerian Navy (NN).

The theme of the event is “Hydrographic Information-Enhancing Safety, Efficiency and Sustainability in Marine Activities”.

The minister commended the Nigerian Navy for her instrumental role in laying the foundation for Nigeria’s national hydrographic services capacity.

He said the creation of the National Hydrographic Agency was to build upon that solid foundation and expand Nigeria’s capability to meet the evolving needs of the nation’s maritime sector.

The minister emphasised the importance of hydrographic information in enhancing maritime safety by providing accurate and up-to-date information to vessels navigating the nation’s waters safely.

He said it would help vessels avoid hazards and reduce the risks of accidents, adding that this was particularly crucial in Nigeria, where the nation’s ports were busy with shipping lines and offshore oil and gas were vital to the economy.

According to him, the national hydrographic agency will help ensure that our maritime activities are conducted safely and efficiently by providing detailed hydrographic data.

Mr Badaru said the agency will enhance the efficiency of Nigerian maritime operations, reduce operational costs, increase competitiveness, and create new economic opportunities.

The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Adm. Emmanuel Ogalla, said the navy had made several attempts at domestic charts for Nigerian waters.

Mr Ogalla said the navy and other maritime agencies had made a tremendous effort to fulfil their roles of providing the information required to produce nautical charts and other aids to navigation and the safety of mariners.

”We have had several other improvements on those charts, particularly in the past 10 to 15 years.

”But we still noticed serious gaps when it comes to surveying in our waters, and that gap is not only in Nigerian waters, it’s the whole of Africa, particularly West Africa,” he said.

The CNS explained that Africa-integrated multi-strategy recognised that the eradication of poverty in Africa depended on the ability of African nations to exploit the resources in the marine environment.

The hydrographer of the federation, Rear Adm. Ayodeji Olugbode, said Nigeria’s advancement in hydrography has laid a solid foundation for the nation’s progress.

Mr Olugbode said the federal government’s investment had bolstered the navy’s capacity to conduct comprehensive surveys of the nation’s territorial waters up to the extremities of its exclusive economic zone.

(NAN)