Unmasking the Legal Connotations of a Coastal State under the International Maritime Law Regime – Nigeria in Perspective

Nigeria, a coastal state with a land area of 923,768.64 square kilometers, has a coastline of over 853 kilometers and navigable inland waterways of about 4,000 kilometers. The sea mass affords a veritable medium of transportation and communication. It conversely serves as an object of intense rivalry among maritime nations at different levels. In asserting their sovereign powers, coastal states are accorded certain rights and duties which are recognized by the Third United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS III) which is not only a comprehensive legal instrument that embodies one of the latest codifications and progressive development of international law, but is also a legal base for the ocean policies of nation states. This paper examines the legal implications of the international maritime law regime on Nigeria’s territorial waters and other maritime zones and appraises the gamut of rights and duties which are available to and incumbent on Nigeria in ensuring the suitable protection, preservation and tamed exploitation of her marine resources.