Waterways Safety: FMMBE, NSIB move to Strengthen Inter-Agency Collaboration

• As Permanent Secretary Calls for Clear, Coordinated Approach to Maritime Safety

The Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy (FMMBE) and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) have opened discussions aimed at strengthening interagency collaboration to enhance safety on Nigeria’s waterways and improve coordination among institutions responsible for maritime safety.

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Mrs. Fatima Sugra Tabi’a Mahmood, stated this when she received in courtesy a delegation led by the Director-General, Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), Capt. Alex Badeh Jnr. at the Ministry in Abuja.

Mrs. Mahmood welcomed the NSIB team, describing the engagement as timely and important, particularly in clarifying the Bureau’s mandate and advancing effective waterways safety. She noted that stronger collaboration among relevant government institutions, guided by clearly defined roles and responsibilities within the marine and blue economy ecosystem, is essential.

The Permanent Secretary explained that the Ministry is undertaking a holistic review of the marine and blue economy ecosystem to ensure institutions are appropriately positioned to deliver on their mandates and work effectively toward common national objectives.

She stressed that collaboration must be guided by relevant legal and statutory frameworks, with institutional clarity especially critical in areas of maritime safety, investigation, regulation, and enforcement.

“A coordinated approach, rather than overlapping responsibilities, would support more effective implementation of government policies and programmes to improve safety across Nigeria’s waterways”, she emphasised.