Denmark reaffirms commitment to Nigeria’s maritime safety

The Danish Government has committed to exploring further cooperation with the Federal Government of Nigeria in maritime security, with emphasis on intelligence sharing and capacity building to sustain security gains in the Gulf of Guinea.

This formed the crux of discussions when the Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, led a delegation of the agency to receive a Danish delegation at NIMASA headquarters in Lagos.

The delegation was led by Sustainability Lead Tumi Onamade and Senior Advisor, Maritime Energy, Water and Environment Trade Council of Denmark.

The Deputy Director/Head of Public Relations at NIMASA, Osagie Edward, announced this in a statement on Wednesday.

Speaking during the meeting, Mobereola stressed that effective maritime security requires proactive collaboration, intelligence sharing, improved coordination and sustained commitment from both countries.

According to him, collaboration is essential to maritime security, and it must be proactive.

“We need stronger cooperation in capacity building, information sharing and intelligence gathering, supported by effective integration between Nigeria and Denmark, to ensure that we can respond more effectively to emerging security challenges,” Mobereola said.

Mobereola reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to safeguarding its maritime domain and contributing to security across the Gulf of Guinea.

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He also highlighted the potential for broader bilateral engagement, noting Nigeria’s strategic position as one of Africa’s largest markets.

Mobereola further called for opportunities for Nigerian cadets to undertake sea-time training onboard vessels, stressing that such arrangements would support the development of competent seafarers and strengthen Nigeria’s maritime human capacity.

Earlier, in her address, Onamade reaffirmed Denmark’s interest in strengthening its relationship with Nigeria, describing both countries as key maritime nations with shared interests in maritime security and sectoral development.

She acknowledged Nigeria’s leading role in maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea and emphasised the importance of sustained cooperation to build national capacity.

“Strengthening collaboration between Nigeria and Denmark is essential to building capacity and sustaining maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea. As we look towards the next phase of this partnership, it is important to consolidate the gains made and identify practical areas for deeper cooperation,” she said.

Onamade said Denmark’s Maritime Security Programme for the Gulf of Guinea, which has been running for more than a decade, was nearing the end of its current phase in December 2026.

She stressed the importance of ensuring that future cooperation builds on existing achievements and reflects the priorities of both countries.

The meeting forms part of ongoing engagements to determine the future scope and priorities of the Nigeria-Denmark maritime security partnership, with emphasis on strengthening cooperation, improving operational capacity and sustaining maritime security in Nigeria and the wider Gulf of Guinea region.