Kingston, Jamaica (17 September 2026) – Madam Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority, Leticia Carvalho, welcomed Her Excellency Ambassador Dr. Jane Bassey Adams as the new Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the ISA on Thursday, 17 September.
The meeting was held at the ISA Headquarters in Kingston, Jamaica. Ambassador Adams brings more than two decades of diplomatic experience spanning Africa, Asia, North America and the Pacific, as well as extensive service at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja. Her career has included senior responsibilities in Canberra, Washington, Hong Kong and Niamey, leadership of the Ministry’s divisions for the Americas and the Caribbean and for African sub-regional organizations, service in United Nations affairs, and a period as the Ministry’s first female Spokesperson, heading crisis management and public communications. She has also chaired the Gulf of Guinea Expert Group.
Upon presenting her credentials, Ambassador Adams stated that the government of Nigeria “views the Authority´s mandate – to administer the resources of the Area as the common heritage of humankind – as sacred.”
The new Permanent Representative assured Madam Secretary-General Nigeria´s full cooperation and active engagement and stressed that the government supports the efforts “to finalize a fair, transparent and enforceable exploitation regulation – one that balances investment certainty with strong environmental safeguards and equitable benefit-sharing.”
During the meeting, Madam Secretary-General Leticia Carvalho recognized Nigeria´s high-level engagement with the work of the ISA, as well as being an important voice within the African Group:
“Nigeria’s engagement is also reflected in the practical implementation of the principle of the common heritage of humankind. Nigerian nationals have participated extensively in ISA capacity-development and contractor training programmes, among the highest participation of any Member State, and Nigeria has consistently emphasized the importance of equity, science, precaution, equitable benefit-sharing, technology transfer and the meaningful participation of developing States in the governance of the Area.”
Madam Secretary-Geral also invited Nigeria to work more closely with ISA through the African Academy for Deep Sea Diplomacy Programme, ADSEA.
About ISA
The International Seabed Authority is an autonomous intergovernmental organization established under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to organize, regulate and control activities in the seabed beyond national jurisdiction for the benefit of humankind as a whole. ISA is committed to ensuring that all activities in the deep seabed are carried out responsibly, using the best available scientific evidence and in accordance with the principle of the common heritage of humankind.
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