Rear Admiral Olugbode: Only 26% of Global Seabed Mapped to Modern Standards
Rear Admiral Ayo Olugbode, Hydrographer of the Federation and Chief Executive Officer of the National Hydrographic Agency, has revealed that only 26 percent of the world’s seabed has been mapped to modern standards.
He made this startling disclosure during a press briefing on Monday ahead of the 2025 World Hydrography Day and the West African Hydrographic Summit, scheduled for June 19–21 in Abuja.
With the theme “Seabed Mapping: Action Taking”, this year’s commemoration will bring together stakeholders from across West Africa and beyond to push for sustainable ocean governance, regional cooperation, and maritime safety.
“The sea, which covers 71 percent of the Earth’s surface, remains largely unmapped,” Olugbode said. “Only about a quarter of this expanse has been charted to acceptable modern standards, and that poses a significant risk to navigation, environmental planning, and economic development.”
Olugbode noted that hydrography—the science of measuring and describing the physical features of oceans, seas, and coastal areas—plays a pivotal role in ensuring maritime safety, economic prosperity, and environmental stewardship. He stressed that seabed mapping is foundational to achieving the goals of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science and the Seabed 2030 Initiative.
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The summit will feature exhibitions, keynote lectures, and panel discussions. According to Olugbode, one of the highlights will be the unveiling of a proposed West African Regional Hydrographic Office and Training Centre to be hosted by Nigeria. Also planned is a showcase of cutting-edge technology including unmanned survey vehicles and artificial intelligence-based hydrographic tools.
Beyond the technical advances, Olugbode emphasized Nigeria’s leadership in driving regional hydrographic development. “We are not just mapping Nigerian waters. We are creating a path for West Africa to meet global targets for seabed data coverage,” he said.
He explained that hydrography directly affects key sectors such as fisheries, tourism, climate resilience, oil and gas, and shipping. The lack of modern mapping increases risks of accidents at sea, inflates shipping insurance through higher war risk premiums, and undermines infrastructure planning in coastal areas.
Olugbode called on all stakeholders—including development banks, policy makers, academia, and the private sector—to see hydrography as central to national development and not merely a scientific discipline. He emphasized that training a modern hydrographer takes a decade and urged for more investment and funding to scale capacity.
He concluded by encouraging media representatives to amplify the message of ocean governance and the necessity of mapping the ocean floor. “Let us map our oceans today to secure our future tomorrow,” he declared.
