The Federal Government is reviewing Nigeria’s maritime safety system to improve coordination among agencies and ensure clearer accountability when accidents occur on the nation’s waterways.

The initiative emerged from a meeting between the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) in Abuja, where officials discussed stronger inter-agency cooperation and a proposed rule requiring maritime casualties to be reported to investigators within one hour.

Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mrs Fatima Mahmood, said the ongoing review of the marine and blue economy sector was aimed at eliminating overlapping responsibilities and ensuring that agencies operate within clearly defined mandates, particularly in safety, regulation, enforcement and accident investigation.

NSIB Director-General, Capt. Alex Badeh Jr., said delayed notification of accidents could compromise investigations because important evidence may be removed, destroyed by weather or swept away by water currents. He therefore advocated a formal casualty notification protocol that would enable investigators to reach accident scenes quickly and secure critical evidence.

Badeh also urged the government to incorporate independent marine casualty investigations into its broader maritime reforms. He explained that while agencies such as NIMASA, NIWA and NPA handle regulatory, licensing, inspection and operational functions, the NSIB’s role is to conduct independent, no-blame safety investigations aimed at preventing future accidents.