Oyetola: Nigeria Will Reclaim Maritime Global Relevance Under Tinubu
Oluchi Chibuzor
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has said that the country would reclaim its maritime global relevance under President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda.
This, in his view, is because of the political will of the President to create the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, which is a monumental step towards harnessing the vast untapped potentials of Nigeria’s maritime sector.
Oyetola stated this at the Annual General Meeting of the League of Maritime Editors, held in Lagos recently, with the theme, “Renewed Hope Agenda: The Place of Nigeria’s Maritime Industry.”
According to him, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to create the Ministry is a monumental step towards harnessing the vast untapped potentials of Nigeria’s maritime sector. This decision is not only a demonstration of the President’s deep understanding of the economic possibilities of the sector, but also a clear indication of his political will to ensure that Nigeria reclaims its rightful place as a key maritime player globally.
“The maritime industry has the potential to transform Nigeria’s economy, create jobs, and improve livelihoods. With our rich coastline and strategic location, the country is well positioned to become a key hub for maritime activities in Africa. The creation of this Ministry therefore reflects the government’s commitment to building a future where the blue economy plays a major role in national prosperity.”
The Minister, who was represented by the Director of Maritime Services at the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Babatunde Sule, said they aim to sustainably leverage maritime resources to create jobs, increase revenue, and promote environmental stewardship.
Speaking, the Customs Area Controller, Tin Can Island Customs Command, Comptroller Dera Nnadi, revealed that the service has concluded an empirical research to be made public by September.
Representing Comptroller-General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, he said, “As you are all aware, it is very common for us to speculate that in other ports it takes XYZ hours to clear cargo, but in Nigeria it takes ABC hours. Nobody has ever subjected that to empirical evidence, except in 2007, when we conducted the last time-release study.”
Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Pius Akutah, represented by Mr. Rotimi Anifowose, noted said the council would always advocate digitalisation of Nigerian ports.
“Let me use this opportunity to reiterate that, we, in the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, will continue to promote and advocate for full digitalisation of port process and operations in Nigerian ports,” he said.
