By Solomon OKPO
The Provisional Committee for the Proposed Nigerian Coast Guard (PC-NCG) has unveiled a comprehensive roadmap aimed at creating five million ocean-based jobs by 2035, while urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to establish a Nigerian Coast Guard as a strategic institution for maritime security and sustainable economic growth.
The committee made the appeal in an open letter to the President following Nigeria’s commitments at the 11th Our Ocean Conference (OOC11) held in Mombasa, Kenya.
In a related development, the Energy and Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (EMR) has renewed its call for the establishment of a Ministry of Blue Economy in Akwa Ibom State, saying the initiative would unlock the state’s enormous but largely untapped maritime resources and stimulate economic development.
EMR noted that Akwa Ibom possesses vast opportunities in marine terminals, shipping and marine companies, oil servicing firms, ferry operations, offshore platforms, fisheries, and other maritime value chains capable of generating significant employment and investment.
Speaking on the proposed Coast Guard, the Chief Executive and Accounting Officer of PC-NCG, Capt. Noah Ichaba, described President Tinubu’s commitment to creating five million ocean-based jobs as a landmark initiative capable of transforming Nigeria’s maritime economy.
He said Nigeria’s prosperity extends beyond its land resources to its oceans, inland waterways, ports, fisheries and coastal ecosystems, stressing that these assets require a dedicated institution to protect and maximise their economic value.
While commending the Nigerian Navy and other maritime security agencies for their contributions, Ichaba maintained that the absence of a Coast Guard remains a critical institutional gap.
“The missing link is the establishment of a Nigerian Coast Guard,” he said.
According to him, the committee’s roadmap provides a practical framework for translating the President’s maritime vision into measurable economic and security outcomes.
He explained that the proposed Coast Guard would strengthen maritime governance, improve investor confidence and unlock the full potential of Nigeria’s blue economy.
Ichaba said the agency would directly create thousands of skilled and semi-skilled jobs in marine operations, engineering, logistics, intelligence, information technology and administration, while stimulating indirect employment across fisheries, aquaculture, tourism, maritime transport, shipbuilding, offshore energy, hospitality and maritime education.
“The Coast Guard will create the conditions for millions of additional jobs through increased investment, stronger local content and expanded coastal industries,” he stated.
He added that the proposed agency would be responsible for maritime law enforcement, search and rescue operations, environmental protection, humanitarian services, fisheries protection, anti-smuggling operations, anti-human trafficking, anti-piracy enforcement and port safety.
Ichaba emphasised that the Coast Guard would complement, rather than duplicate, the responsibilities of the Nigerian Navy, whose primary mandate remains national defence.
Describing the Coast Guard as the “missing institutional pillar” for Nigeria’s maritime aspirations, he warned that illegal fishing, smuggling, marine pollution, human trafficking and weak maritime enforcement continue to undermine the country’s blue economy.
He noted that most leading maritime nations operate both a Navy and a Coast Guard to ensure effective maritime governance and sustainable exploitation of marine resources.
Ichaba therefore urged President Tinubu to establish the Nigerian Coast Guard without delay, arguing that the institution would not only strengthen national security but also secure the President’s maritime legacy and position Nigeria as a leading blue economy nation in Africa.
