ONSM

National Office of Maritime Signaling

Welcome to the official presentation page of the ONSM. The National Office of Maritime Signaling (Office National de Signalisation Maritime) is a Public Administrative Establishment (EPA) under the purview of the Ministry of Public Works, established by Decree No. 85-236 of August 25, 1985. Its headquarters are located at No. 6, Boulevard Colonel Amirouche, Algiers.

Institutional Role and Missions

The Office is responsible for the design, construction, and maintenance of aids to navigation systems, including both shore-based infrastructure (such as lighthouses, harbor lights, and radio/electrical signal broadcasting stations) and floating aids (such as buoys).

It serves as the executive body for supervisory authorities in shaping and implementing national and international maritime signaling policies. The Office is an eligible member of the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA / AISM).

Modernization and Compliance with International Standards

The significant growth of Algeria’s socio-economic and commercial relations with international partners—driven by the transition from a planned economy to an Algerian market economy and the effects of globalization—has led to a sharp increase in maritime traffic. This growth is further supported by continuous and rapid advancements in marine navigation technology and systems.

Concurrently, international laws and regulations under the International Maritime Organization (IMO / OMI) and recommendations from the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA / AISM) have continually evolved and adapted.

Consequently, Algeria’s current maritime signaling system is required to stay up to standard by complying with international rules and regulations (such as the SOLAS 2002 Convention), deploying modern management tools, faithfully representing the needs of mariners, and securing its future development through actionable short- and medium-term plans within a rational framework.

Heritage

Maritime Heritage of the Institution

The ONSM manages 242 facilities distributed along the national coastline. Below is the summary table of these strategic infrastructure assets:

Designation	Lighthouses	Waypoint Lights	Auxiliary & Danger Lights	Harbor Lights	Buoys	Total
Algiers Unit	8	1	3	49	4	65
Oran Unit	8	0	3	67	8	86
Skikda Unit	6	4	2	23	6	41
Béjaïa Unit	4	0	3	35	8	50
Total :	26	5	11	174	26	242

Regional Jurisdiction of the Units

To ensure maritime navigation safety, territorial management is optimized through strategic segmentation. The regional coverage of the ONSM units is structured around four key geographical sectors:

Oran Unit

Coverage of the wilayas of Tlemcen, Aïn Témouchent, Oran, and Mostaganem.

Algiers Unit

Coverage of the wilayas of Chlef, Tipaza, Algiers, and Boumerdès.

Béjaïa Unit

Coverage of the wilayas of Tizi Ouzou, Béjaïa, and Jijel.

Skikda Unit

Coverage of the wilayas of Skikda, Annaba, and El Tarf.