Nigeria Formally Flags off IMO Council Election Campaign in London

• A vote for Nigeria is a vote for balanced decision making in global maritime governance” …Oyetola

I n a major diplomatic move on the sidelines of the 110th Session of the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC 110), Nigeria officially flagged off its campaign for election to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council under Category C for the 2026–2027 biennium.

The high-profile campaign flag-off, led by Nigeria’s Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, His Excellency Adegboyega Oyetola, CON, took place on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, at the Delegates’ Lounge of the IMO Headquarters in London.

The event drew a distinguished audience, including the Secretary-General of the IMO, Mr. Arsenio Dominguez, as well as Permanent Representatives, Alternate Permanent Representatives, diplomats, and maritime delegate from over 120 IMO Member States.

It served as a platform for Nigeria to underscore its strategic maritime relevance and renew its commitment to global shipping governance. In his keynote address, Minister Oyetola extended warm regards from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and emphasised Nigeria’s unwavering dedication to the IMO’s mandate.

“Today, we formally declare Nigeria’s candidacy for re-election to the IMO Council under Category C for the 2026–2027 biennium,” he announced.

“As a responsible maritime nation strategically located on the Gulf of Guinea — one of the most commercially significant and security sensitive shipping routes in the world — Nigeria remains resolute in supporting the IMO’s mandate to promote safe, secure, environmentally sound, efficient and sustainable shipping.”

Oyetola spotlighted Nigeria’s acclaimed Deep Blue Project as a model of maritime security innovation.

Coordinated by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the multi-layered initiative integrates air, land, and sea assets to protect Nigeria’s maritime domain.

The implementation of the Deep Blue Project, Minister Oyetola noted, has resulted in zero piracy incidents in Nigeria’s territorial waters over the past three years, a milestone that has drawn global commendation, including from the International Maritime Bureau (IMB)