The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency has disclosed that a total of 4,016 vessels entered Nigeria’s Exclusive Economic Zones during the first quarter of 2025.
According to The PUNCH, this was revealed by Lawal Abdulrasak, Shift Officer at the Command, Control, Communication, Computers, and Intelligence (C4i) Operations Centre of NIMASA, during an oversight visit by the House of Representatives Committee on Maritime Safety, Education and Administration to the Nigerian Maritime Resource Development Centre, Kirikiri, Lagos.
Abdulrasak noted that out of the total number, 1,651 vessels made port calls at offshore oil and gas facilities. He also reported that 166 vessels entered Nigerian territorial waters for the first time, while 827 were involved in meeting operations.
“These figures highlight the level of activity in Nigeria’s maritime domain in just three months,” Abdulrasak said. “We are tracking vessels entering the EEZ to enhance maritime domain awareness and ensure safety.”
The agency also uncovered about 1,723 vessels suspected of engaging in ‘dark activities’—vessels operating without transmitting their Automatic Identification System, a violation intended to avoid detection.
“Dark activities are a major concern because they pose threats to maritime security and transparency. Our systems have flagged vessels trying to evade monitoring by switching off their AIS between January and April 2025,” he added.
Abdulrasak further disclosed that 741 course diversions were recorded in the same period. He also confirmed two incidents of attempted piracy or sea robbery.
“While we’ve seen improvements in maritime security, the presence of dark vessels and course diversions show that there is still work to be done,” he stated.
He added that 31 vessels conducted flag changes in Nigerian waters during the first quarter. Despite these challenges, Nigeria maintained a strong presence in the regional maritime space, accounting for 47 per cent of total port calls, amounting to 33,530 ship visits.
NIMASA says it remains committed to improving surveillance and ensuring safe and efficient maritime operations within Nigeria’s waters.
