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President Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday received the report of the High Powered Presidential Committee, HPPC, on Nigeria’s extended continental shelf project.
He commended the team of experts for their hard work over the years in advancing the project.
The project's goal is to expand Nigeria's maritime boundaries in line with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 1982.
The President, In Abuja, expressed his gratitude after hearing technical presentations from Professor Larry Awosika, a marine scientist and committee member, and Surveyor Aliyu Omar, Secretary of HPPC.
These experts have been involved 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, granting sovereignty over additional square kilometers of maritime territory.
In a statement released by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Chief Ajuri Ngelale, it was reported that the President mentioned, "During the briefing by the HPPC to former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2022 regarding the project's status, the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) was still reviewing Nigeria's submission and engaging in technical discussions with the HPPC.
These discussions and review have resulted in the approval for Nigeria to expand its continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles.
At present, the approved area for Nigeria is approximately 16,300 square kilometers, which is about five times the size of Lagos State," Omar informed the president.
He mentioned that Nigeria was officially notified of the decision by the UN Nations Commission on the limits of the Continental Shelf, CLCS, in August 2023, shortly after President Tinubu took office.
After the approval, Omar presented the options available to Nigeria: "The first option is to accept the gained area and complete the registration with the UN Secretary-General, concluding the process.
This would take approximately one year. The second option is to work with the current information, gather more data, prepare a supporting document, and submit a revised proposal as recommended by CLCS for further review.
This would take an additional four years. In either case, Nigeria will retain the approved area."
During his presentation, Professor Awosika emphasized that the approval was the result of extensive scientific research in geophysics, geology, geography, and diplomatic efforts, which solidified Nigeria’s legal rights over a large portion of seabed and subsoil beyond its traditional territorial waters.
Awosika also highlighted the economic potential of the newly acquired territory, including hydrocarbons, gas, solid minerals, and a diverse range of sedentary species.
He did warn against the complete release of sensitive data gathered during surveys, as it could compromise confidentiality. Nigeria plans to use the information to recoup project costs.
In response, the president expressed gratitude to the experts for their hard work and stressed the importance of the accomplishment for Nigeria's economic and strategic goals.
