The federal government is set to unlock the vast potential of the maritime sector as a key driver of national prosperity in line with Africa’s Agenda 2063, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, made this disclosure in Lagos in an interactive session with Nigerian Guild of Editors.
A statement issued by the Director Information and Public Relations in the Ministry, Anastasia Ogbonna quotes the Minister as saying, “The vision of the Ministry is to ensure that the Nigeria’s marine resources are harnessed sustainably to position the country as a premier maritime nation”.
According to Oyetola in the statement, in order to lay a solid foundation for the vision, the Ministry, through a multi-layered stakeholders’ engagement and consultation, has crafted a National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy and that the document will be presented to the Federal Executive Council for approval soon.
He stated that the Ministry carries out its mandate through its agencies and has recorded significant achievements on many fronts, one of which he said is the recent approval for the award of contract for the modernization of Western Ports namely the Lagos Ports Complex, Apapa and Tin Can Island Port Complex.
He further explained that the procurement process for the Eastern Ports mordernisation is being fast tracked and that the projects will generate over 20,000 jobs.
The Minister highlighted efforts being made in the development of greenfield port projects such as Badagry, Ilaje, Olokola, Agge, Ibaka, Burutu, Snake Island, Bakassi, Deep Seaports, river ports and jetties as well as development of Inland Dry Ports across the country to facilitate trade. According to him, the Funtua Inland Dry Port in Katsina has been commissioned while Kaduna and Kano are supporting trade operations with those in Abia, Plateau, and Borno States in various stages of completion.
On the issue of ports operational efficiency, the Minister disclosed that the Ministry’s policy reforms and agency implementations have yielded significant improvements in export volumes over the past two years as evidenced by the positive trade balances reported by the National Bureau of Statistics due to reforms at the Export Terminals.
He further explained that the implementation of the National Single Window (NSW); a platform that streamlines trade compliance processes and links, ports with relevant government agencies and stakeholders to create a seamless efficient system.
To complement this National Single Window project, the ministee said the Ministry and NPA are finalizing the Port Community System, an electronic platform to centralize and automate processes among stakeholders in port services which according to him will serve as a One Stop Shop for all stakeholders in the Port system.
He said that the shipping lanes that transverse West Africa and the Gulf of Guinea have witnessed zero-piracy for a record of 3 years due to the implementation of the Deep Blue Sea Project and Falcon Eye Surveillance Systems which feature advance surveillance and response systems. This, the Minister noted, is through the efforts of the Ministry and its agencies.
On Nigeria’s bid for the Category C seat in International Maritime Organization, the Minister disclosed that President Tinubu has approved that Nigeria should bid and the IMO has been duly notified of Nigeria’s interest and the country has commenced the necessary process to bid.
The Minister also stated that the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and other stakeholders are finalizing arrangements for the disbursement of the Cabotage Vessel Financing Funds.
He highlighted some of the achievements of the Ministry to include: upscaling fisheries and aquaculture, 100% compliance during the Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) certification exercise in 2024 which was carried out by the US Department of State; collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation to replicate the success of Oyan Dam Cage Culture on impounded waters nationwide to upscale fish production, mapping of marine resources through National Institute of Oceanography and Marine Research (NIOMR), resuscitation of the National Fleet amongst others. The Minister also affirmed that the Ministry, through its agencies, increased revenue to government coffers by 77% for the period January-November 2024.
He also noted that as a mark that the Ministry and its agencies are getting it right, the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) during the 120 Day Regulatory Reform Accelerator (RRA) in 2024, acknowledged the exceptional performances of the Ministry and its Agencies, which earned it a letter of commendation.
The Minister called on the Media, as key stakeholders, to partner with the Ministry to achieve its mandate. He noted that the media parley was not just about the Ministry presenting its achievements but was about fostering a dialogue.(www.krestnews.com).