When Dr Dayo Mobereola assumed the leadership of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) on March 22, 2024, he inherited a sector burdened by training backlogs, regulatory gaps, and an international reputation marred by security concerns and punitive insurance premiums. Two years later, the agency is emerging as a continental leader in maritime innovation, regulatory enforcement, and global advocacy, writes TOLA ADENUBI.
At the heart of NIMASA’s transformation is an unwavering commitment to developing Nigeria’s maritime workforce. The agency has tackled the longstanding backlog in the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP), clearing sea-time training delays that had frustrated aspiring maritime professionals.
In a historic first for 2025, Mobereola personally attended the Maritime Academy of Nigeria graduation ceremony, reflecting a fundamental shift in how NIMASA views its role in workforce development. Over 235 cadets have been sent to premier maritime institutions in India and Greece for training as Licensed Deck and Engine Officers. Meanwhile, NIMASA has integrated cutting-edge technology for verifying Certificates of Competency, streamlining the seafarer licensing process to meet international STCW requirements.
Recognising that institutional excellence begins at home, NIMASA has implemented comprehensive staff welfare programmes, including structured training initiatives, performance-based promotions, and reward systems. The results? Nigeria’s election to Category C of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council for the 2026–2027 biennium, reflecting global confidence in NIMASA’s administrative reforms.
Landmark IMO council victory
Nigeria’s election into the IMO Council on November 28, 2025, during the IMO General Assembly in London stands out as a defining achievement. The victory, led by the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola, marked Nigeria’s triumphant return to the Council after more than a decade.
Dr. Oyetola credited over 12 months of intensive diplomatic shuttles, sustained advocacy, and coordinated stakeholder engagement. Nigeria’s improved maritime security architecture and reforms in the Gulf of Guinea played a decisive role in restoring global confidence. President Bola Tinubu formally commended NIMASA’s management, describing the achievement as a strong affirmation of Nigeria’s growing influence in global maritime governance.
Modernising maritime labour administration
In June 2025, at the Day of the Seafarer celebration in Port Harcourt, the Federal Government launched the Maritime Labour E-Platform, a digital solution for transforming labour administration. Building on the 2022 dockworkers, registration initiative, the platform creates an integrated system for registering and verifying seafarers, dockworkers, employers, and other stakeholders.
“By centralising registration and issuing secure biometric ID cards, it cuts paperwork, speeds up processing, and gives us reliable real-time data,” explained Jibril Abba, NIMASA’s Executive Director for Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services. The platform fulfills NIMASA’s statutory mandate under Section 27(1)(a) of the NIMASA Act 2007 and aligns Nigeria with the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) 2006, the Seafarers’ Bill of Rights.
Regulatory muscle: Operation zero tolerance
While building capacity and modernizing systems, Mobereola has demonstrated that NIMASA has regulatory teeth to enforce compliance. In January 2026, the agency launched “Operation Zero Tolerance for Non-Compliance,” targeting violations of Nigerian maritime laws.
The operation requires comprehensive compliance: proper vessel registration, valid certifications, updated ownership documentation, adherence to Cabotage provisions, and timely payment of statutory levies. NIMASA’s enforcement strategy includes random and targeted vessel inspections, documentation verification against agency databases, and compliance assessments at ports, terminals, and offshore locations. Non-compliance carries penalties including vessel detention, prosecution, and substantial fines.
Strategic international partnerships
Beyond regulation, NIMASA has pursued strategic international collaborations. A partnership with the Danish Maritime Authority enhances maritime security through intelligence sharing, joint patrols, and capacity building. Similarly, collaboration with University College London implements emissions monitoring at Nigerian ports, contributing to global climate commitments.
Working with the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, NIMASA is exploring public-private partnership models for major projects including the Modular Floating Dock. At the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Mobereola presented Nigeria’s Automatic Identification System for Ship Emission Calculation, demonstrating NIMASA’s environmental commitment.
Mobereola has been particularly vocal in challenging discriminatory war risk insurance premiums imposed on vessels calling at Nigerian ports. At a Chatham House seminar, he argued that sustained security improvements in the Gulf of Guinea warrant premium reductions, a stance that could yield significant commercial benefits if successful.
Security partnerships and international recognition
NIMASA’s security collaboration extends across multiple agencies. When the immediate past Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, visited NIMASA, he acknowledged Mobereola’s efforts in implementing frameworks that bolster maritime safety and security, calling for renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding between the organisations.
Rear Admiral Abdullahi Mustapha noted that “the longstanding partnership NIMASA has maintained with the Nigerian Navy has culminated in the current tranquility within the Nigerian maritime domain.” Enhanced information sharing through NIMASA’s C4i Centre integration with the Navy’s Falcon Eye system has significantly improved security.
NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier General Buba Marwa (retd), visited NIMASA seeking inclusion in the Deep Blue Project to combat drug trafficking through maritime channels, proposing close collaboration between NDLEA’s Marine Command and NIMASA.
The international community has taken notice. The United States Coast Guard delivered remarkable praise following assessments of Nigerian ports: “Nigeria’s compliance with the ISPS Code ranks amongst the best globally,” stated Joe Prince Larson, who led the USCG assessment team. The assessments are part of a three-year plan toward lifting the Condition of Entry placed on vessels departing Nigeria for the United States.
Naval officers from 20 countries participating in the Siren Course aboard the French vessel LHD TONNERRE visited NIMASA’s C4I Center, describing the collaboration between the Nigerian Navy and NIMASA as “a model partnership worthy of study.”
Unlocking the cabotage fund
Under Mobereola’s leadership, NIMASA has made significant progress, removing obstacles to the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund, with meaningful disbursement to indigenous ship owners anticipated for 2026. The agency demonstrated commitment by commissioning the CVFF Application Portal on January 21.
Combined with the November 2025 accreditation of 27 shipyards, these developments create an ecosystem where Nigerian ship owners can both finance vessel acquisition and access local repair services. The Shipowners Association of Nigeria has commended the agency’s reforms and reaffirmed commitment to partnership in fleet expansion.
Organisational excellence and management structuring
Mobereola announced strategic redeployment of 56 management staff in 2025 to enhance operational efficiency and service delivery. Key appointments strengthened inter-departmental collaboration and injected new energy into the system. “The redeployment reflects deliberate efforts to rejig operations, foster synergy among departments, and drive sustainable maritime development,” Mobereola explained.
A Vision Aligned with Global Goals
Underlying all NIMASA initiatives is alignment with UN Sustainable Development Goal 17: “Partnerships for the Goals.” NIMASA’s partnerships with the IMO, Nigerian government, private sector, and international organizations create what Mobereola envisions as “a conducive environment for the growth of maritime trade, job creation, and technological innovation.”
The road ahead
As NIMASA moves into 2026, the foundations laid create both opportunities and obligations. Operation Zero Tolerance will test maritime community compliance. The anticipated CVFF disbursements will determine whether financial empowerment translates into fleet expansion. Nigeria’s performance in its IMO Council seat represents work in progress.
What’s undeniable is that under Mobereola’s leadership, NIMASA has transformed from a reactive regulatory body into a proactive driver of maritime development. The agency that once struggled with training backlogs now presents emissions monitoring systems at UN climate conferences, advocates for African shipping interests at Chatham House, and earns praise from the U.S. Coast Guard for world-class port security.
Yet Mobereola consistently frames success as collective responsibility. Whether urging stakeholders to support Operation Zero Tolerance compliance, calling on the international community to recognise Nigeria’s security improvements, or advocating for seafarer rights, his message remains constant: Nigeria’s maritime future depends on sustained partnership, rigorous standards, and unwavering commitment to excellence.
As Nigeria positions itself as a leading blue economy player in Africa, the maritime sector’s transformation under NIMASA serves as both blueprint and bellwether. If Mobereola and his team can sustain the momentum, converting international recognition into commercial advantage and policy vision into measurable impact, Nigeria’s maritime sector may finally fulfill its promise as an engine of national development.