The Federal Government has expressed readiness to partner with Norway on satellite surveillance of Nigerian waters to combat illegal fishing and protect the country’s marine resources.
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, gave the assurance on Monday while receiving Norway’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Svein Baera, during a courtesy visit in Abuja.
The ambassador, accompanied by the Second Secretary for Political and Project Development, Michelle Hovi, introduced the Blue Justice initiative, which provides participating countries with free satellite-based vessel-tracking data.
He invited Nigeria to join the Blue Community, a network of countries participating in the programme to strengthen maritime surveillance and enable authorities to detect suspicious vessels, including those deliberately evading tracking systems.
The initiative provides real-time and historical vessel movement data to support investigations, identify illegal fishing activities and strengthen enforcement against maritime crimes.
Responding, Oyetola welcomed the initiative and reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to combating illegal fishing through improved surveillance and international cooperation.
The minister expressed concern that foreign operators were exploiting Nigeria’s fish resources illegally, with some of the products subsequently returned to the country and sold at high prices.
He said the practice undermined the livelihoods of local fishermen, deprived Nigeria of legitimate economic benefits and threatened the sustainable management of its aquatic resources.
Oyetola added that enhanced satellite surveillance and intelligence sharing would help authorities identify suspicious activities and enforce fisheries regulations more effectively.
He stressed that protecting Nigerian waters was both an environmental and economic priority, noting that the government was also working to boost local fish production, reduce dependence on imports, create jobs and conserve foreign exchange.
