The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA has reassured of its commitment to digital reform to enhance regulatory governance, shipping development and revenue optimization. This is even as the agency has debunked sponsored publications falsely alleging that the it has embarked on a concession of its operations.
The agency, in a statement signed by the Head, Public Relations, Osagie Edward in Lagos on Sunday, stated that there was no iota of truth in those claims adding that that was the hand-work of some external and internal elements who had conspired to benefit from the current porous system.
It explained that following a comprehensive internal review of operational systems, the current leadership of NIMASA resolved to embrace technology as a means of enhancing the agency’s capacity to deliver on its regulatory mandate more effectively and to bring into the coffers of government, additional revenue and ensure funds due to government does not end up in private hands.
“A pivotal innovation in this regard is the Maritime Enhanced Monitoring System (MEMS). This system brings digital traceability to the core of Nigeria’s maritime operations. MEMS provides real-time visibility into vessel movements, operational logs, and regulatory interactions. Through automated alerts, smart invoicing, and centralized data integration, NIMASA can now detect, document, and respond to maritime activities with greater precision and efficiency—eliminating unnecessary bottlenecks while strengthening compliance.
“The additional recipients targeted are, waste reception services, a routine operation for both domestic and international vessels have traditionally lacked proper tracking, resulting in unmonitored activities and significant revenue losses. With MEMS, each waste offload can be logged, time-stamped, and automatically billed, converting previously missed opportunities into a consistent revenue stream while ensuring environmental standards are met.
“Marine pollution control, another critical area of NIMASA’s mandate, has similarly been constrained by limited digital tools. In the absence of satellite tracking and automated reporting, pollution events often go unnoticed or are reported too late to mitigate their impact. With the integration of modern surveillance systems, digital logbooks, and real-time alerts, NIMASA can now respond swiftly to such incidents, recover environmental damages, and hold polluters accountable—both legally and financially”, the statement said.
It also emphasized that past revenue shortfalls experienced by the Agency mainly stemmed from outdated manual processes, fragmented data systems, and insufficient digital enforcement mechanisms which allowed some external elements to capitalize on the loopholes for personal gains.
Assuring that the current reforms being implemented by NIMASA were focused squarely on overcoming those limitations, the statement maintained that by investing in digital infrastructure and streamlining monitoring systems, the Agency was positioning itself to fulfill its statutory obligations with transparency, efficiency, and accountability.
It therefore, advised the general public to disregard the misleading reports and instead support NIMASA’s transformation journey as it aligned with the broader national objectives of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“The Agency remains committed to strengthening Nigeria’s maritime governance, ensuring environmental safety, and optimizing revenue for the nation.
“It is worthy of note that the Deep Blue Project of the Agency which now enjoys global recognition also witnessed such resistance at the initial stage”, the statement submitted.
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