The Provisional Committee for the Proposed Nigerian Coast Guard (PC-NCG) has presented a roadmap to deliver five million ocean-based jobs, strengthen maritime security and drive a sustainable blue economy.

The committeee submitted the roadmap in an open letter to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, following Nigeria’s commitments at the 11th Our Ocean Conference (OOC11) in Mombasa, Kenya.

PC-NCG Chief Executive and Accounting Officer, Capt. Noah Ichaba, described Nigeria’s 2035 pledge as a bold step towards unlocking the country’s vast maritime potential.

He said the President's commitment to create five million ocean-based jobs had renewed confidence across the maritime sector.

According to Ichaba, Nigeria’s prosperity lies not only in its land resources but also in its oceans, inland waterways, fisheries, ports and coastal ecosystems.

He commended ongoing maritime security efforts by the Nigerian Navy and other agencies but argued that a major institutional gap remains.

“The missing link is the establishment of a Nigerian Coast Guard,” he said.

Ichaba said the committee’s roadmap provides a practical framework to transform the President’s vision into measurable economic and security outcomes.

He noted that a Coast Guard would strengthen maritime governance, attract investment and unlock the full potential of Nigeria’s blue economy.

He maintained that creating millions of sustainable ocean-based jobs requires an institution dedicated to regulating, protecting and facilitating maritime economic activities.

According to him, the proposed Coast Guard would directly generate thousands of skilled and semi-skilled jobs across marine operations, engineering, logistics, intelligence, ICT and administration.

He added that Indirect employment would expand across fisheries, aquaculture, tourism, maritime transport, shipbuilding, offshore energy, hospitality and maritime education.

“The Coast Guard will create the conditions for millions of additional jobs through increased investment, stronger local content and expanded coastal industries,” he said.

Ichaba explained that the proposed agency would focus on maritime law enforcement, search and rescue, environmental protection and humanitarian response.

Its responsibilities would also include coastal security, fisheries protection, anti-smuggling operations, anti-human trafficking, anti-piracy enforcement and port safety.

He stressed that the Coast Guard would complement existing agencies rather than duplicate their functions.

While the Navy concentrates on national defence, he said the Coast Guard would provide continuous maritime law enforcement, environmental protection and emergency response.

Ichaba described the Coast Guard as the missing institutional pillar needed to achieve Nigeria’s maritime ambitions.

He argued that the country’s target of five million ocean-based jobs by 2035 would be difficult without establishing the proposed agency.

The PC-NCG also warned that illegal fishing, smuggling, marine pollution, human trafficking and weak maritime enforcement continue to threaten Nigeria’s blue economy.

Ichaba noted that most leading maritime nations operate both a Navy and a Coast Guard to ensure effective maritime governance.

He urged President Tinubu to establish the Nigerian Coast Guard as a lasting institution for economic transformation, maritime security and national development.

According to him, creating the Coast Guard would secure the President’s maritime legacy while positioning Nigeria as a leader in Africa’s blue economy.

He said the opportunity to transform Nigeria’s maritime potential into sustainable prosperity should not be delayed.