Features and Resource Potential of the Atlantic Ocean in Nigeria

This chapter provides an updated understanding of the Nigerian Atlantic waters in terms of offshore characteristics, as well as the opportunities these characteristics offer to the Nigerian people and the continent as a whole. For some time periods between 1979 and 1983, Shell Nigeria contributed the wind, wave, swell, and current data that were analysed. General characteristic of the presented data, in particular, Bonny, Forcados, Asabo and Bonga Offshores of Nigeria is presented. The results lead to inferences on the usage of the Atlantic for marine food production technology and renewable energy sources. It should be noted that the Nigerian Atlantic has a low average velocity of 0.3 m/s running beneath the surface waves. The Atlantic compared to other oceans of the world is also considered as most gentle and benign. The efforts attempted to reinvent the use of vertical axis turbines for use in such low underwater current velocities of 0.3 m/s—possibly the lowest flow velocity of ocean water in the world.