The Senate on Wednesday suspended further consideration of the Nigeria Coast Guard (Establishment) Bill, 2026, amid concerns that the proposed agency could duplicate the responsibilities of existing maritime security institutions, including the Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Marine Police.
The decision followed the presentation of a report by the Senate Committee on Marine Transport, which had recommended the passage of the bill after extensive stakeholder engagements and a public hearing.
The proposed legislation seeks to establish a Nigeria Coast Guard Service to bolster maritime security, safeguard the nation’s waterways and enhance economic activities within the marine and blue economy sectors.
Presenting the committee’s report during plenary, Chairman of the Committee on Marine Transport, Senator Wasiu Eshilokun, said most stakeholders who participated in the public hearing supported the initiative, citing the urgent need to strengthen security across Nigeria’s vast maritime domain.
According to him, the proposed Coast Guard would work in synergy with existing security agencies to combat piracy, maritime crimes, accidents and other threats confronting the nation’s waters.
Eshilokun noted that Nigeria’s 853-kilometre coastline, coupled with its expansive inland waterways, underscores the need for a specialised maritime security outfit dedicated to safety and surveillance operations.
To allay fears of jurisdictional conflicts—particularly with the Nigerian Navy—the committee proposed amendments clarifying that the Coast Guard would function as a specialised maritime safety and security agency within clearly defined operational boundaries, rather than as an independent armed force.
He added that the proposed agency would be responsible for the protection of maritime zones, commercial shipping activities, loading and offloading operations, maritime transportation, and other related services, while also enhancing Nigeria’s compliance with international maritime conventions and standards.
However, Senate President Godswill Akpabio urged caution, warning against creating additional security agencies without first addressing the operational deficiencies of existing institutions.
Akpabio observed that the Nigerian Marine Police, which already performs certain maritime security functions, remains grossly underfunded and inadequately equipped.
“The Marine Police is yet to be well funded. They need submarines. They need to be well armed. They need to operate beyond shallow waters and extend their presence into international waters,” he said.
He cautioned that establishing another security body without a clearly defined mandate could result in unnecessary duplication of functions and inter-agency rivalry.
“The fact that the Marine Police and the Navy are already in existence means that creating another security outfit within the ports could create confusion if their responsibilities are not properly delineated,” Akpabio stated.
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The Senate President subsequently recommended that the bill be temporarily withdrawn to allow for broader consultations with critical stakeholders in the maritime and security sectors.
“We are not killing the bill; we are only stepping it down for further consultations before it returns to the Senate,” he explained.
Following Akpabio’s intervention, Senator Eshilokun sought the Senate’s permission to suspend further legislative action on the bill pending additional consultations—a request that received unanimous approval from lawmakers.
The development underscores the Senate’s determination to ensure that any new maritime security framework complements, rather than conflicts with, existing institutions as Nigeria seeks to strengthen security across its coastal and inland waterways.
