Nigeria charts new waters with historic IC-ENC Hub
With the establishment of the IC-ENC West African Regional Office and Training Centre in Abuja, Nigeria has taken a major step toward maritime leadership in the Gulf of Guinea, strengthening
With the establishment of the IC-ENC West African Regional Office and Training Centre in Abuja, Nigeria has taken a major step toward maritime leadership in the Gulf of Guinea, strengthening navigation safety, seabed mapping capacity and regional hydrographic cooperation under reforms driven by the Federal Government’s maritime and blue economy strategy, writes Assistant News Editor, Precious Igbonwelundu.
Nigeria’s emergence last May as host of the International Centre for Electronic Navigational Charts (IC-ENC) West African Regional Office and Training Centre marked a defining milestone in the country’s maritime development and regional influence.
The hosting right followed Nigeria’s strong technical presentation and outstanding performance at the IC-ENC Chairs’ Meeting in London, where the country secured the mandate to establish and coordinate the regional office for West Africa; a development widely seen as recognition of its growing hydrographic capacity and leadership role in maritime governance across the sub-region.
Hence, sequel to the proactive engagement of key international stakeholders culminating in the IC-ENC’s hub to be due for unveiling on Friday, Nigeria has now joined the United Kingdom (UK), the United States (US), Australia and Brazil as the only countries hosting IC-ENC regional offices globally. The Abuja centre will validate Electronic Navigational Charts (ENCs), coordinate training and strengthen technical cooperation among West African hydrographic institutions while integrating regional charting systems into the global maritime distribution framework
The development will ensure vessels operating within the Gulf of Guinea rely on accurate navigation data that meets international standards, improving shipping safety, operational efficiency and maritime trade reliability across one of Africa’s busiest sea corridors.
The centre will also serve as a training hub for hydrographers across the sub-region, promoting knowledge exchange and strengthening institutional collaboration in marine geospatial services.
In a congratulatory message, IC-ENC headquarters in the United Kingdom described the Abuja facility as a milestone for chart validation, training and regional hydrographic capacity development. IC-ENC General Manager James Harper noted that the centre would enhance navigation safety and expand marine transport opportunities across West Africa.
Defence sector support
The establishment of the regional office reflects broader institutional coordination within Nigeria’s maritime safety architecture, particularly the strategic support provided by the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, highlighted the economic and strategic value of the IC-ENC facility during the 2025 World Hydrography Day celebration, noting that Nigeria could generate between nine and twelve million dollars annually from chart validation and related hydrographic services.
Beyond revenue potential, the centre strengthens Nigeria’s role in hydrographic excellence infrastructure across the Gulf of Guinea and reinforces national capacity in seabed intelligence critical to defence planning, offshore asset protection and maritime domain awareness.
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The successes recorded in hydrographic development and marine spatial data management have also benefited from sustained institutional backing by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen Olufemi Oluyede, and the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, whose leadership continue to strengthen navigational safety coordination, operational charting support and ocean governance frameworks across Nigeria’s maritime domain.
Their contributions have supported expanded seabed survey coverage, improved charting accuracy and enhanced integration of hydrographic intelligence into national maritime safety operations.
Legal framework for hydrographic authority
The National Hydrographic Agency Establishment Act of 2021 provided the institutional foundation that enabled Nigeria’s recent hydrographic advances.
The Act formally designated the National Hydrographic Agency as the country’s sole authority for nautical chart production, ensuring quality control and protecting national ownership of marine geospatial information.
It also empowered the agency to issue maritime safety information, notices to mariners and tidal publications to improve navigation reliability and reduce shipping risks across regional trade corridors.
The law further established the agency as custodian of hydrographic data collected by public and private stakeholders, strengthening coastal planning, offshore investment decisions and marine infrastructure development.
Boosting regional influence through ENC capacity
Nigeria’s investment in Electronic Navigational Chart capability has positioned the country as a regional leader in digital navigation services.
Aside from coordinating chart validation across participating states and supporting compliance with international standards, the IC-ENC West African Regional Office will also promote adoption of emerging charting frameworks such as the S-100 standard, which improves digital navigation accuracy and marine spatial planning across modern maritime systems.
The centre is expected to deepen technical cooperation among hydrographic offices in the sub-region while strengthening indigenous expertise in marine geospatial services.
Importance of Seabed mapping
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Seabed mapping has become an important pillar of Nigeria’s maritime strategy, supporting offshore energy exploration, submarine cable installation, fisheries planning and climate resilience initiatives.
Accurate hydrographic intelligence also strengthens maritime surveillance operations and protects offshore infrastructure, improving safety across shipping corridors and supporting economic activity within coastal waters.
Nigeria’s leadership role during the 2025 World Hydrography Day celebration and the West African Hydrographic Summit in Abuja further reinforced its ambition to become a continental hub for marine geospatial innovation and hydrographic cooperation.
Building technical capacity for the future
Human capacity development remains central to sustaining Nigeria’s hydrographic progress.
The IC-ENC training centre in Abuja is expected to strengthen professional development across West Africa by supporting knowledge transfer, technical exchanges and specialised chart validation training aligned with international standards.
This investment reinforces Nigeria’s position as a regional provider of marine geospatial expertise and strengthens long-term sustainability of hydrographic services across the Gulf of Guinea.
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It therefore goes without saying that hosting the IC-ENC regional office reflects growing confidence in the country’s leadership role within West African hydrography and maritime governance.
Delegates at the West African Hydrographic Summit in Abuja endorsed joint surveys, shared geospatial platforms and collaborative training initiatives aligned with global seabed mapping targets under the United Nations Ocean Decade framework.
Regional cooperation reduces duplication of survey efforts, improves data accuracy across maritime boundaries and strengthens navigation safety within shared trade corridors.
Through these initiatives, Nigeria is helping shape the future of hydrographic cooperation in the Gulf of Guinea.
Charting a confident maritime future
Supported by sustained defence sector coordination and institutional reforms within Nigeria’s maritime governance framework, the National Hydrographic Agency has expanded seabed mapping coverage, strengthened electronic chart production capacity and deepened regional technical cooperation.
These gains have been implemented under the leadership of the Hydrographer of the Federation and Chief Executive Officer of the National Hydrographic Agency, Rear Admiral Ayo Olugbode, whose stewardship has supported Nigeria’s emergence as host of the IC-ENC West African Regional Office and Training Centre.
With the Abuja centre now operational, Nigeria is not only improving navigation safety but also positioning itself as a regional driver of hydrographic innovation, maritime safety coordination and blue economy growth across West Africa.
