Abstract: | Nigeria increased the width of her territorial sea from three miles in 1964 to twelve miles in 1967 and then to 30 miles in 1971. Although this is in excess of the 3 miles allowed by existing international law and the 12 miles of UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) III, it is still inadequate for Nigeria in the light of the country's offshore resources, especially fisheries and petroleum. An extension of Nigeria's territorial waters to at least 100 miles would better accommodate Nigeria's offshore resources and would be more in line with the country's own perception of its economic interests. Notes, ref. |