Nigeria Receives Additional Square Kilometers Of Maritime Territory As Part Of Continental Shelf Project

The United Nations has reportedly approved Nigeria's request to extend its continental shelf, granting it additional square kilometers of maritime territory.

President Bola Tinubu received a report on Tuesday from the High Powered Presidential Committee (HPPC) on Nigeria's Extended Continental Shelf Project, revealing that the UN has approved the country's submission to grant it additional square kilometers of maritime territory.

Tinubu praised the team of experts who worked over the years to make this project a success, with an aim to extend Nigeria's maritime boundaries in line with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, 1982.

The appreciation from the president came in Abuja after he heard technical presentations by Marine Scientist Larry Awosika and the Committee's Secretary Aliyu Omar.

Both experts have been working on this project since Nigeria first submitted an extension request for its continental shelf to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) in 2009.

During the presentation, the experts informed Tinubu that the UN had approved Nigeria's submission, granting sovereignty over additional square kilometers of maritime territory.

"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," Omar said, Premium Times reported.

"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 kilometers, which is about five times the size of Lagos State."

The committee's secretary also pointed out that Nigeria received the official notification of the decision from the UN Nations Commission on CLCS in August last year, just a few months after Tinubu took over the office on May 29.

Omar went on to share two options with the president, noting that the first one includes completing the registration with the UN Secretary-General and concluding the process. This will indicate that Nigeria is satisfied with the additional area received, adding that this procedure will take at least one year.

The second option would be accepting the current area while acquiring more data and submitting a revised request for further expansion. However, this procedure would take another four years. In both cases, Nigeria will get what has already been approved.

Tinubu, in response, thanked both experts for their achievement and also appreciated former President Buhari for playing a big role in this project.

"Nigeria is grateful for the efforts that you put into gaining additional territory for the country without going to war. Some nations went to war, lost people and economic opportunities," the president said. "We lost nothing but have gained great benefits for Nigeria. We will pursue the best option for the country."