Nigeria has defended its bid to extend its continental shelf from the present 200 nautical miles to 350 nautical miles.
The Pan African News Agency (PANA) reports that the defence was made on Friday at the UN headquarters in New York in a closed-door session of the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf.
PANA learnt that Nigeria recorded a “no objection” response from all the members of the commission.
The commission’s chairman, Alexandre Medeiros de Albuquerque of Brazil, had asked the members for questions on Nigeria’s presentation, but none of them came up with questions.
Nigeria’s Minister of Justice, Micheal Aondoakaa, who led a high-powered delegation to the UN headquarters to defend the bid, said that the extension was to ensure proper policing of the nation’s maritime boundary, as well as to boost economic activity.
He expressed the hope that the country’s bid would sail through, saying “our neighbours are in total support of Nigeria’s moves to expand its maritime boundary. ”
He also disclosed that Ghana had recently given a “no objection” nod to the request by Nigeria.
Aondoakaa said the Nigerian government decided to seek the extension based on Article 76, paragraph 8, of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which, he said, the government had “fully” satisfied its provisions.
He said the extension would enable Nigeria to explore and exploit its seabed resources to enhance the country’s economy and facilitate peace and security in the Gulf of Guinea region.
Also speaking, the Director-General of the National Boundary Commission, Sadiq Diggi, said that the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea entered into force in Nigeria on 16 November, 1994.
Diggi said that work on the claim for the extension of the territorial waters started in 2000.
The 18-member delegation, included Nigeria’s Permanent Representative at the UN, Joy Ogwu, Diggi, some members of the National Assembly and other government officials.
Nigeria had in May submitted its request for the extension to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf which is currently holding its 24th session, which will end on 11 September.