President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed optimism that Nigeria’s bid to expand its maritime territory, under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, (UNCLOS), is fully on course and would be achieved without ‘‘war, litigation, or purchase.’’
The President said he is looking forward to the day that he can announce to Nigerians that additional maritime territory has been approved for Nigeria by the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf.
The President said this on Tuesday while receiving a Progress Report from the High-Powered Presidential Committee on Nigeria’s Extended Continental Shelf Project, at the Statehouse Abuja.
The President assured the Committee, chaired by the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, of his full support, for Nigeria’s submission to the United Nations, for the additional maritime area, under the recognised international convention.
He commended the committee on the progress made so far, and the dedication invested in the work within a short time, assuring them of all the support, to conclude the project in good time.
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Underscoring his special interest in the project, the President told the Malami-led committee, that he has always had a special interest in the project, right from the first day he heard of it, saying such a project, where Nigeria will gain additional territory without conflict, had never happened before in her lifetime.
Malami thanked the President for his strong support of the project, noting that it was dormant for more than 30 months before the president rescued it.
The Attorney-General of the Federation told the President that the Committee is delivering and gaining more grounds for Nigeria on the project.
The President listened to an administrative presentation on the project by Surveyor Aliyu Omar, the Secretary of the Committee, while the technical part was presented by Professor Lawrence Awosika, a marine geophysicist and former Director of the Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research.
(Editor: Ifeanyi Mark)
