President Bola Tinubu has commended the efforts of the High Powered Presidential Committee (HPPC) on Nigeria’s Extended Continental Shelf Project, expressing appreciation for the diligent work of the team of experts involved. The project aims to extend Nigeria’s maritime boundaries in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 1982.
In a session held on Tuesday in Abuja, President Tinubu received the report of the HPPC and listened to technical presentations by Professor Larry Awosika, a marine scientist and committee member, and Surveyor Aliyu Omar, the committee’s secretary.
The experts have been actively 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.
According to the experts, Nigeria’s submission has been approved by the UN, granting the nation sovereignty over additional square kilometers of maritime territory.
Surveyor Omar informed the President that the approval for Nigeria to extend its continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles has been granted, with an area of approximately 16,300 square kilometers approved, which is about five times the size of Lagos State.
He highlighted that the official notification of the decision was conveyed to Nigeria by the UN Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) in August 2023, shortly after President Tinubu assumed office.
Omar outlined the available options for Nigeria following the approval, indicating a significant milestone in Nigeria’s maritime sovereignty and territorial expansion.
”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.
President Tinubu commended the committee members for their dedication and expertise emphasizing the importance of maximizing the benefits of the extended continental shelf for the nation’s development and security.
