The Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) have called for greater use of data to measure the impact of reforms aimed at improving transparency and integrity in Nigeria’s maritime sector.

The organisations made the call in Lagos when a MACN delegation visited NIMASA to discuss continued collaboration on transparency, accountability and integrity in the sector.

NIMASA’s Director-General, Dr Dayo Mobereola, who was represented by the Executive Director, Operations, Fatai Adeyemi, said data was essential to demonstrate the impact of reforms and identify areas requiring further intervention.

“Data is essential to show the progress being made in the maritime sector. We need to be able to demonstrate what we are doing and showcase the impact of these reforms,” he said.

Mobereola said NIMASA was working to embed transparency and integrity in maritime operations and advocated the replication of successful reforms across the sector.

He also disclosed plans to introduce body cameras for enforcement officers boarding vessels, saying the initiative would improve transparency in interactions between officers and operators and strengthen accountability.

MACN Chief Executive Officer, Cecelia Torbrand, commended NIMASA’s reforms but stressed the need to sustain momentum and document measurable progress.

She said addressing corruption risks in the maritime industry required collaboration among government agencies, businesses, civil society and other stakeholders.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Convention on Business Integrity, Olusoji Apampa, said Nigeria’s maritime reforms deserved greater visibility, noting that countries including Ghana and Senegal were developing mechanisms influenced by the Nigerian experience.