This initiative aims to expand Nigeria’s maritime boundaries in accordance with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
By Arex Stefani
Yesterday, President Bola Tinubu received the report from the High Powered Presidential Committee (HPPC) concerning Nigeria’s extended continental shelf project. He commended the team of experts for their dedicated efforts over the years to advance the project.
This initiative aims to expand Nigeria’s maritime boundaries in accordance with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The President expressed his gratitude in Abuja following technical presentations by Professor Larry Awosika, a marine scientist and committee member, and Surveyor Aliyu Omar, the HPPC Secretary.
These experts have been engaged in the project since Nigeria’s initial submission to extend its continental shelf to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) in 2009. They informed the President that the UN has approved Nigeria’s submission, thereby granting sovereignty over additional square kilometers of maritime territory.
A statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Chief Ajuri Ngelale, quoted the President as saying: ‘’When the HPPC briefed former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2022 on the status of the project, the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, CLCS, was still considering Nigeria’s submission and having technical interactions with the HPPC.
‘’These interactions and consideration have now culminated in the approval for Nigeria to extend its continental shelf beyond 200M (200 nautical miles).
‘’As it stands now, the area approved for Nigeria is about 16,300 square kilometres, which is about five times the size of Lagos State,” Surveyor Omar told the president.’’
He mentioned that Nigeria received official notification of the decision from the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) in August 2023, shortly after President Tinubu took office.
Omar outlined the available options for Nigeria following the approval: ‘’The first option is to take the area gained and finalize the registration with the UN Secretary-General and close everything, meaning that we are satisfied with what we got. This will take at least one year.
‘’The second option is to take what we have right now, acquire more data, do a support write-up, and make a revised submission as recommended by CLCS for further consideration. This will take another four years. Either way (options), Nigeria will keep what has been approved.”
During his presentation, Professor Awosika elaborated that the approval was the culmination of years of meticulous scientific research encompassing geophysics, geology, geography, and diplomatic efforts. These efforts solidified Nigeria’s legal rights over an extensive area of seabed and subsoil beyond its traditional territorial waters.
Awosika underscored the economic potential of the newly acquired territory, which includes hydrocarbons, gas, solid minerals, and various sedentary species.
However, he cautioned against complete disclosure of sensitive survey data, noting that such action could compromise confidentiality, as Nigeria intends to monetize the information to recoup project costs. In response, the president expressed gratitude to the experts for their diligence, emphasizing the significance of the achievement for Nigeria’s economic and strategic interests.
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