• coast guard
• nigeria

Establishment of Coast Guard in Nigeria, need for critical thinking.

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  Iyamu Kenneth / 4 months
• 0
• 3 min read

The Philippines Coast Guard is the third largest Arm of their military tasked primarily with enforcing laws in the maritime environment. It also undertakes the protection of her 406,328 hectares of navigable waterways consisting of lakes, marshes and rivers Additionally, the CG was established to protect Philippines waters conducting maritime security operations and protecting lives and property.This is similar to the mandate of NIWA; to ensure development of infrastructural facilities for inland water ways connectivity and economic centres using rivers, ports nodal points for inter nodal exchange. On the other hand NIMASA was established to pursue the development and regulation of shipping matters. From the foregoing, there are 2 agencies already positioned to accomplish the task of the proposed CG through overseeing regulations, commercial and operations in the Nigeria waters. The country have never faulted these agencies in the discharge of their responsibilities. This raises the question now as to the obsession with the Coast Guard? There proponents of the CG should give clarity on how it will enhance security in the 10,000 kilometres navigable route from Niger Republic to Cameroon up to the Atlantic ocean. Additionally, how will the CG reverse merchant ship not docking and bunkering in Nigeria. Equally, how will it facilitate the revitalization of the the Nigerian National Shipping Line. Establishment of uniformed Arm is a constitutional issue with strong implications for the sovereignty. I established a nexus between Nigeria and the Philippines to the extent that the two countries have near equal GDP and populations but different maritime security challenges. Philippines is occupied with the challenges of the South China sea or the Philippines sea thus creating the need for a CG. The breach of the south China sea or the Philippine sea is very consequential to the economies of both countries. Nigeria is not known for such scenarios now or the future. Chapter 6, part 3 and section 217 expressly stated that there shall be an Armed Forces for the nation consisting Army, Navy and the Air Force and any other branch established by the National Assembly.Any other branch envisaged here is a consideration of the National Assembly and the Constitution and most essentially, national affordability. My take is that the 854 kilometres shoreline and the 10, 000 kilometers navigable route are not overwhelming for NIWA and NIMASA. Our consideration should be the constraint of the revenue of more than 51% of GDP borrowing and how the CG will add value to the national prosperity that NIWA and NIMASA will not accomplish. From available research, Nigeria do not have any meaningful threats from the marine environment safe for oil theft that is being holistically addressed by the Nigerian Navy.Consequently, the focus need to be how NIMASA can reduce concessions to foreign shipowners, encourage Nigerians through soft loans to own ships and increase their Cabotage internally and internationally. We have been through this pathway before, remember the National Guard of the Army. That was in the period of a more prosperous economy. For me, Nigeria have more excruciating problems than the establishment of CG.