Capitalise on Global Surge in Deep-sea Exploration, Oyetola Tells Nigerians

Kasim Sumaina in Abuja

Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, Wednesday in Abuja tasked Nigerians to capitilised on the global surge in deep-sea exploration to diversify the nation’s economy.

He noted that as a major oil-producing country with an extensive coastline and inland waterways, the country cannot afford to lag in the new frontier.

Oyetola stated this at stakeholders sensitisation workshop on “Deep Seabed Activities in Nigeria”, organised by the ministry in collaboration with Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).

He explained that the transition from fossil fuel-based to a mineral-based economy, presents opportunities for Nigeria to leverage its marine resources, particularly wave and tide energy to generate clean energy.

According to him, Our collective mission is to harness the vast potential of our marine resources and this workshop marks a significant step towards achieving this goal.

Oyetola added: “Effective harnessing of these resources will significantly contribute to our nation’s energy needs. And, this workshop aims to raise awareness among critical stakeholders about the importance of deep seabed exploration and exploitation, addressing environmental and social implications and, ensuring effective protection of the marine environment from harmful effects that may arise from deep seabed activities.”

Similarly, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Michael Olufemi, added, “As we convene here, we acknowledge the relatively uncharted terrain of deep seabed activities.

“This workshop aims to illuminate the opportunities and importance of exploring Africa’s continental shelf while ensuring responsible environmental management and adherence to regulatory frameworks.”

On his part, the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, said that the deep sea is believed to be home to vast reserves of these critical minerals in commercial quantities that would significantly reduce the world’s dependency on land mining and reduce environmental impact associated with land based mining.

He said: “As demand for metals grows, it is expected that deep sea mining would provide the required supply that will meet demand for these metals.”

He added that NIMASA will play a critical role by collaborating with relevant MDAs and the International Seabed Authority (ISA) in providing the regulatory framework and establishing environmental protection guidelines for seabed mining.

The Agency, he said could also help to develop training programs to grow local expertise in deep seabed mining technologies and operations.