The ongoing clamour for the establishment of a coastal guard has once again hit a brick wall at the House of Representatives.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Navy, Dr Yusuf Adamu Gagdi, on Monday insisted that the idea is counterproductive since there is the Nigeria Navy (NN), which is well-rooted in maritime security in the country.The Plateau-born lawmaker spoke after members of his committee interfaced with the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, the Hydrographer of the NN, Rear Admiral Ayodeji Olugbode, and the Vice Chancellor of the Admiralty University of Nigeria (ADUN), Prof. Dili Ofuokwu, during the 2025 budget defense session held at the National Assembly complex in Abuja.

Gagdi wondered why those pushing for the establishment of the coastal guard took their case to the Senate after the Bill on the matter was rejected by his committee last year, following due consultation with the National Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA).

Gagdi maintained that there is no way his committee would approve the establishment of the coastal guard when the Nigeria Navy is grossly underfunded.

“We have a Navy that is working hard but suffocated. Surprisingly, those who want the Coast Guard have appeared before the Senate to say they want it. We don’t want it. We have a Navy that is suffocated and wants additional funding. It would be irrational to consider another agency when the Navy is not adequately funded,” he said.

The lawmaker, who acknowledged the high cost of maintaining various platforms and jetties of the NN, pledged to accede to the demand for additional funding for the NN, which he described as the most strategic military outfit of economic value to the survival of Nigeria.

Recall that the push to establish a Nigerian Coast Guard gained traction on Thursday, December 5, 2024, as stakeholders gathered at the National Assembly for a public hearing on the Nigerian Coast Guard (Establishment) Bill, 2024.

The Bill, sponsored by Senator Wasiu Eshinlokun (APC-Lagos), aims to establish a dedicated agency under the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, tasked with ensuring maritime safety, environmental protection, and enforcing civil maritime laws.

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