Country information
Basic facts on marine waters
- Territorial sea (12 NM): N/A
- Exclusive Economic Zone: The Nigerian government has recognised the importance of MSP and is actively working on integrating it into national maritime policies, with the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy leading the initiative, most especially in the aspects of Data Gathering, Stakeholder Engagement, and Legal Framework.
Strategic documents related to MSP
- MSP roadmap
- MSP roadmap of the Gulf of Guinea
- Ensuring responsible utilisation of Nigeria’s Marine Resources, maritime industries and fostering maritime resources, and addressing emerging issues.
- National policy on the marine and blue economy to chart direction for development
- National Policy on Ocean and Seas 2016
- Nigeria Ocean Governance framework 2017
- Coastal Area Protection and Management law 2011
- National Environment Marine Pollution Regulation 2011
- Fisheries and Aquaculture Regulations 2013 and 2011
Technical resources related to MSP
- Nigerian Institute of Oceanography and Marine Research (NIOMR): Publishes research on marine ecosystems, resources, and management practices.
- Marine Spatial Planning in the Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem
- First ODINAFRICA Coastal and Marine Atlases Planning meeting
- Implementation of the biodiversity information and data system for coastal ecosystems in Nigeria
- Participatory Assessment of Shellfisheries in the Estuarine and Mangrove Ecosystems of Nigeria
- Nigerian Marine Ecosystem Baseline studies (2022)
- Coastal and Inland Shipping Cabotage Act 2003
- Merchant Shipping act 2007
- Marine Operations coordinating board act 1992
- Nigerian Maritime Administration and safety Agency act 2007
Relevant MSP projects
- Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) Project
- Niger Delta Biodiversity Project
- Nigeria Blue Economy Initiative (2020)
- West African Coastal Resilience Program (WACREP)
- The Maritime Action Plan for Marine Litter and Plastics Management in Nigeria (MAP-ML+P) Maritime Transport and Shipping
- Offshore oil and gas exploration, Tourism and Coastal Recreation, Marine Biodiversity Conservation, Coastal Protection and Military
Current status of MSP
Name of the plan |
Marine Protected Areas Action Plan |
|---|---|
Year of approval
|
N/A |
Size of planning area in km²
|
N/A |
Authority leading the MSP process
|
Nigerian Navy Hydrographic Office |
Current status |
|
|---|---|
Pre-planning
|
Completed |
Assessments for planning
|
Underway |
Plan development
|
Underway |
Plan completion
|
Underway |
Plan approval
|
Underway |
Plan implementation
|
Underway |
Plan review
|
Underway |
Name of the plan |
Blue Economy Policy |
|---|---|
Year of approval
|
N/A |
Size of planning area in km²
|
N/A |
Authority leading the MSP process
|
Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy |
Current status |
|
|---|---|
Pre-planning
|
Completed |
Assessments for planning
|
Underway |
Plan development
|
Underway |
Plan completion
|
Underway |
Plan approval
|
Underway |
Plan implementation
|
Underway |
Plan review
|
Underway |
National authority in charge of MSP |
Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research, Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy |
Governmental funding |
Funding of Government agencies related to Maritime activities through budgetary allocations |
External funding |
Contribution from the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme |
Public-Private funding |
Private sector Investment from the oil and gas and tourism sectors |
Total size of planning area |
N/A |
Time required to complete the planning document |
N/A |
Main issues that led to the adoption of MSP (drivers) |
Overlapping Resource Use, Degrading Marine Biodiversity, sustainable blue economy framework and international obligations |
Stakeholder engagement activities |
Community forums across the Nigerian Coastal and marine areas. Engagement of several stakeholders from fisheries, oil and gas and tourism. private sector and academia |
Sectors included in planning |
Community leaders, local government, private sectors |
Articulation between MSP and Integrated Coastal Zone Management (IZCM) |
Integration of Coastal Zone Management with Nigeria Coastal Erosion Control Plan. The expansion of Marine Protected areas by 10% by 2030 aligning with International conservation target. Alignment of sustainable Blue Economy with Nigeria vision 2050 for a resilient marine economy Management (IZCM). |
Articulation between MSP and marine conservation (including the Kunming- Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework) |
N/A |
Articulation between MSP and sustainable blue economy |
N/A |
Articulation between MSP and climate change (including the Paris Agreement) |
N/A |
Plan approval process |
N/A |
Legal status of the plan (guiding or legally binding) |
N/A |
Plan review process |
N/A |
Performance monitoring and evaluation |
Development of a monitoring framework with KPIs, including Biodiversity improvement by 5% annually. reduction of resource use conflict by 15% within 5 years. |
Interactions with neighbouring countries in the context of MSP attending transboundary coherence approaches |
N/A |
Legal framework
N/A
Contact
Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research
Samuel Olatunde Popoola – Focal Person for Nigeria, IOC- Nigeria National Decade Committee (NNDC), IOC Working Group on Sustainable Ocean Planning (IOCWG-SOPM)