The Nigerian Navy, members of the National Assembly, and a coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) have voiced strong opposition to the proposed bill seeking to establish the Nigerian Coast Guard.
The Senate Committee on Marine Transport had initially scheduled a public hearing for 7 November, but it was postponed due to the passing of the Chief of Army Staff, General Taoreed Lagbaja.
The bill, sponsored by Senator Wasiu Eshilokun (APC-Lagos), aims to create a military branch under the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
At the rescheduled hearing on Thursday in the National Assembly Library, the Nigerian Navy led the objections, citing redundancy, potential security risks, resource constraints, and misalignment with global best practices.
Representing the Chief of Naval Staff, Chief of Training and Operations, Rear Admiral Olusegun Ferreira, argued against the establishment of a Coast Guard with overlapping military powers.
Ferreira stated, “The United Kingdom does not have a Coast Guard with military powers similar to those being proposed in this bill. Instead, the Royal Navy handles military defence and maritime security, while the UK Coast Guard focuses on search and rescue under the Maritime and Coast Guard Agency”.
He added that many nations, including South Africa, avoid establishing separate Coast Guard entities, opting to consolidate resources within their naval forces for greater efficiency.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Interior, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, also criticised the bill, pointing out Nigeria’s financial limitations.
“We are living on borrowed funds. It is improper to take loans to establish a new agency”, he said.
He questioned the rationale behind placing military service under the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, rather than the Ministry of Defense.
Similarly, Philip Agbese (Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency, Benue State) called for strengthening existing institutions rather than creating redundant agencies. He accused the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy of inconsistency, noting their recent opposition to a similar Marine Corps Bill. “What changed in 14 days that now makes a Coast Guard necessary”, he asked.
Agbese also pointed to the failure of state-level security outfits like Amotekun to curb insecurity, arguing that creating a Coast Guard would not resolve the challenges facing Nigeria’s waterways.
Several other speakers, including Dr Emeka Akabogu of the Nigerian Maritime Law Association, Rear Admiral Chris Ezekobe (retd.), and Igwe Umanta, representing a coalition of 10 civil society organizations, urged the Senate to reject the bill.
They emphasised that the proposed Coast Guard would duplicate existing functions and waste resources.
The consensus at the hearing was clear, the establishment of a Nigerian Coast Guard is unnecessary and counterproductive.
