Senate halts Nigerian Coast Guard Bill over overlap worries

The Senate on Wednesday stopped the Nigerian Coast Guard Bill because some members worried that the new agency might do the same work as the Nigerian Navy and the Marine Police.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio shared this decision after most senators voted for it during their meeting.

The bill, pushed forward by Wasiu Eshinlokun (APC, Lagos East), aims to create the Nigerian Coast Guard. It is meant to boost maritime security, fight illegal fishing, and control unauthorized activities along Nigeria's coastline.

The plan is for this agency to work under the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy as a special maritime security group.

The bill had already been discussed in public and was set for its third reading. It had passed the second reading on 15 October 2024 and was sent to the Senate Committee on Marine Transport for more work.

But right after Mr Eshinlokun proposed it for the third reading, Mr Akpabio mentioned that many senators had privately expressed worries that the Coast Guard would overlap with the duties of other security agencies at sea.

He pointed out that both the Marine Police and the Nigerian Navy are not well funded. Creating another agency might make coordination even harder.

“Some senators have observed that their functions will conflict with the functions of the navy and will also conflict with the functions of the marine police. The marine police is yet to be well funded. They need to be well armed, they need to approach the international waters. Right now they are only running around shallow waters and what is needed in that area is funding to enable the marine police to do its job,” Mr Akpabio explained.

He also added that starting another maritime security agency without clearly defining what it will do could lead to confusion.

“And also with the fact that the Naval police are also available and whatever this creation of another militia will cause confusion and their functions will not be well delineated and we’re not even able to fund any of the other agencies well,” he said.

Because of this, Mr Akpabio asked the senators to withdraw the bill for more discussions instead of moving forward with it.

“I think we should withdraw this for further consultations before bringing it to the Senate. We’re not going to kill the bill, we’re only withdrawing it for further consultations,” he added.

While presenting the report from the Senate Committee on Marine Transport, Mr Eshinlokun said the committee had a public hearing. Most of the stakeholders were in favor of starting the Coast Guard.

He mentioned that many believed better maritime security is crucial for Nigeria's maritime industry. This industry helps create jobs, ensure food security, bring in foreign exchange, and boost international trade.

Mr Eshinlokun added that the proposed Coast Guard would work alongside existing agencies. It aims to build investor confidence, improve cooperation between agencies, and strengthen Nigeria's reputation as a reliable maritime center.

Addressing fears that the Coast Guard might just be another arm of the military, Mr Eshinlokun said the committee changed the bill. They now define the agency as a specialized maritime security group instead of a military unit.

He also mentioned that they revised the bill to limit the Coast Guard's duties. It would focus on maritime safety and security in Nigeria's waters, especially for commercial shipping, cargo operations, maritime transport, and related activities in the country's maritime area.

Finally, Mr Eshinlokun urged the Senate to pass the bill, saying that the changes made have taken care of the worries about overlapping responsibilities.