NIMASA Launches Intelligence-Led Maritime Crackdown, Targets Non-Compliant Vessels

‘Blue-Green’ operation combines Deep Blue assets, C4i intelligence to strengthen maritime compliance and revenue protection

By Stella Okocha

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has launched a coordinated intelligence-led maritime enforcement operation across key operational areas in Lagos, deploying assets of the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure, popularly known as the Deep Blue Project, alongside specialised maritime security units.

Codenamed “Operation Blue-Green,” the exercise combines intelligence gathering, analysis and target development with coordinated enforcement at sea, in a renewed effort to strengthen regulatory compliance, deter maritime offences and protect government revenue.

A major feature of the operation was the deployment of a new specialised intelligence capability within NIMASA’s Deep Blue Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C4i) system.

The capability is designed to enhance the identification, assessment and prioritisation of vessels of interest, enabling enforcement teams to focus resources on specific targets based on actionable intelligence.

The intelligence system also provided real-time support to personnel deployed during the operation, improving situational awareness and facilitating more targeted inspections and compliance checks.

The Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, said the success of the exercise had reinforced the need for a more sustained approach to intelligence-led maritime enforcement.

He disclosed that Operation Blue-Green would be formalised as a recurring enforcement model, with similar operations progressively extended to other maritime regions, including Port Harcourt, Calabar and Warri, subject to operational readiness and intelligence priorities.

“Following the outcome of the operation, we at NIMASA will formalise Blue-Green as a recurring intelligence-led enforcement model and progressively expand similar operations to other maritime regions, including Port Harcourt, Calabar and Warri, in line with operational readiness and intelligence priorities,” Mobereola said.

He said the deployment of multiple enforcement platforms was also intended to send a strong deterrent signal to individuals and operators who may seek to engage in criminal or non-compliant activities within Nigeria’s maritime domain.

“This deployment of multiple enforcement platforms is to serve as a deterrent to anybody with criminal intentions. We are glad with the level of cooperation from the Armed Forces,” the NIMASA Director-General stated.

During the operation, several vessels were boarded and subjected to detailed inspections covering documentation and regulatory compliance.

The inspections focused on statutory certification, cargo and voyage documentation, applicable surcharge obligations and compliance with Nigeria’s Cabotage requirements.

The exercise underscores NIMASA’s growing emphasis on the use of intelligence, technology and coordinated maritime security assets to move enforcement away from routine checks towards a more targeted and risk-based compliance model.

By integrating the Deep Blue maritime security infrastructure with C4i-enabled intelligence capabilities, the agency aims to improve its ability to identify vessels and activities requiring regulatory attention while deploying enforcement resources more effectively.

Beyond maritime security, the intelligence-led approach is also expected to support improved regulatory compliance and revenue mobilisation by identifying areas of non-compliance and ensuring that applicable statutory obligations are properly enforced.

Operation Blue-Green therefore represents a significant step towards a more structured and sustained maritime enforcement framework, with NIMASA positioning intelligence, technology and inter-agency cooperation at the centre of efforts to secure Nigeria’s waterways, strengthen compliance and support the growth of the maritime economy.