Senate passes bill on Nigerian territorial sea administration

The Senate on Tuesday passed a bill seeking to provide the legal framework for the administration of Nigerian territorial sea and offshore activities.

The passage of the bill followed the adoption of the report of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters at the plenary.

The Committee Chairman, Michael Bamidele, who presented the report, said the bill sought to streamline all national laws in line with global best practices and provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

According to the lawmaker, the legislation will set out the legal framework within which all activities in the oceans and seas should be carried out.

He noted that Nigeria has vast resources in the ocean, which included oil and gas, fish and fisheries resources, minerals, placer deposits, salt, renewable energy resources amongst others, hence the need for such legislation.

READ ALSO: Senate considers taking fight against poverty to LGAs

Bamidele stated that stakeholders at a public hearing on the bill posited that the territorial sea, in addition to the internal waters, was a zone within which Nigeria had sovereignty.

The chairman noted that recent events with neighbouring states had brought to the fore, the seeming shortcomings of Nigeria’s policy on the ocean, which was not consistent with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

He said: “These obvious shortcomings have made it imperative for us to review our maritime zone legislation, and the underlying policy to enable Nigeria to advance its argument for the ‘Extended Continental Shelf’ claim and effective management of the coastal and ocean environment.”

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now