The Provisional Committee of the proposed Nigerian Coast Guard (PC-NCG) has attributed Nigeria’s inability to establish a Coast Guard to a 170-year structural problem rooted in colonial maritime administration.

In a statement issued on Sunday, PC-NCG Director of Communications and Public Affairs, Dr. Piriye Kiyaramo, quoted the committee’s Chief Executive and Accounting Officer, Capt. Noah Ichaba, as saying the challenge dates back to 1748.

According to Ichaba, the British Marine Department combined civilian maritime safety and military defence functions, creating a system that failed to distinguish between the two responsibilities.

He explained that the 1914 amalgamation and the establishment of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) in 1955 sustained the arrangement, with mariners performing port operations, coastal safety and security duties simultaneously.

Ichaba said the same personnel later formed the nucleus of the Nigerian Naval Force when it was established in 1956, leaving the Navy to handle both military and civilian maritime responsibilities.

He noted that the absence of a separate Coast Guard created overlapping mandates, institutional rivalry and repeated setbacks to Coast Guard legislation.

“Present-day lawmakers, ministers and agencies inherited this confusion. They did not create it,” he stated.

The committee argued that the dissolution of the Marine Department led to the creation of agencies such as the NPA and Inland Waterways Authority, but no independent Coast Guard.

As a result, the Navy has continued to perform warfare, territorial defence, search-and-rescue, environmental protection and other civilian maritime duties.

PC-NCG said growing threats, including piracy, illegal fishing, oil theft and drownings, underscore the need for a dedicated Coast Guard to support maritime safety and law enforcement.

The committee urged the National Assembly to pass the Nigerian Coast Guard Act, stressing that a clear separation of military and civilian maritime functions is essential for safeguarding Nigeria’s coastal communities and blue economy.