The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency has unveiled a new Public-Private Partnership model designed to drive maritime decarbonisation across Africa, marking a significant step in the country’s push toward cleaner shipping.
Speaking at the 2025 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Balem, Brazil, NIMASA presented its newly established Nigerian Maritime Continuous Emissions Monitoring System.
The initiative was showcased at a side event hosted by the agency.
According to a statement by NIMASA’s Deputy Director and Head of Public Relations, Osagie Edward, the demonstration reflected Nigeria’s commitment to supporting the International Maritime Organisation’s energy-transition agenda through digital and data-driven solutions.
NIMASA Director-General, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, said the agency has maintained consistent efforts to foster energy transition within Nigeria’s maritime industry, describing the new emissions-monitoring system as a pioneering step for both Nigeria and the wider African maritime sector.
Mobereola, represented by NIMASA’s Director of Marine Environment Management, Dr. Oma Ofodile, said the agency has led coordinated efforts to advance the IMO’s energy-transition strategies through digital innovation, an approach he noted is crucial for turning climate ambitions into measurable results.
“At COP 28, NIMASA launched the need for an African Coalition in achieving the IMO GHG emissions reduction strategies, while at COP 29, the agency brought together expert panel discussants and presented the agency’s efforts toward having a verifiable Nigerian maritime emissions inventory.
This was done in collaboration with the University College London (UCL) research group, aimed at preparing and showing Nigeria’s readiness towards achieving a low-carbon shipping and maritime sector.
“At COP 30 this year, NIMASA formally presented the Nigerian Maritime Continuous Emissions Monitoring System, developed in collaboration with a team of researchers from UCL, and actively discussed tangible efforts of the agency in advancing the IMO energy transition strategies,” the DG said.
Speaking at the event, the representative of the IMO Secretary-General, Mr. Roel Hoeders, praised NIMASA for organising a pioneering session aimed at deepening discussions and providing a strategic roadmap for how African countries can navigate the complexities of the shipping energy transition.
The side event drew expert contributions from the IMO, University College London, maritime administrations from Ghana, Kenya and Tanzania, as well as representatives from the Lagos State Ministries of Planning and Budget, the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, and the Nigerian Ports Authority, among others.
A major focus of UNFCCC COP 30 is the push to finalise a set of indicators for assessing progress toward the Global Goal on Adaptation established under the Paris Agreement. The negotiations aim to streamline an initial list of 100 proposed indicators into a concise set aligned with the 11 targets outlined in the 2023 GGA Framework.
The International Maritime Organisation has long acknowledged the sector’s role in global emissions, noting that international shipping was responsible for about 2.9 per cent of global anthropogenic CO₂ emissions in 2018.
