By Obiabin Onukwugha, Port Harcourt
Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has said it is time for Nigeria to float a
National Carrier, to boost the maritime sectors as he mentions tackling illegal, unreported and
unregulated (IUU) fishing, harnessing marine tourism, safety and security as top on his agenda.
The Minister spoke during a working visit to the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency
(NIMASA), in Lagos, recently, where he inspected the NIMASA Command in Apapa.
Among the places inspected were the Control, Communications, Computers, and intelligence, C4i
Centre, NIMASA e-library, the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) radio room,
Marine Environment Management Laboratory, the newly acquired NIMASA headquarters, Search
and Rescue Base Clinic and the NIMASA Skill Acquisition Centre.
He said time has come for the country to fully harness its vast potentials in the maritime sector.
Oyetola noted that with Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) arrangement, and support of stakeholders,
floating a national career would be achieved in the interest of the maritime industry and Nigeria as a
whole.
The Minister pointed out that management of the resources of Nigeria’s Marine and Blue Economy
entailed proactive, smart and strategic thinking. He called for the rediscovery, harnessing and
packaging of the nation’s maritime resources, including seafoods, in line with all associated
international standards and specifications.
He said: “Today, we have come to see some of the things you told us in Abuja and to properly
appraise the situation of things with a view to taking practical steps towards addressing them. I am
particularly interested in the NIMASA Modular Floating Dock because of its potential to generate
employment and stemmed capital flight. But we must find a way of ensuring stakeholders’ buy-in, in
whatever we do so that we are seen to be working together for the growth and development of
Nigeria”.
The Minister, regretted that the Nigerian fishing industry was dominated by foreigners and assured
that under his watch it will no longer be business as usual.
Oyetola also noted that safety and security of the maritime corridors of Nigeria was a priority area in
his agenda for the ministry, and that without safety and security, there can never be a meaningful
achievement in the industry.
He added that with the rich endowments of her marine and blue economy, Nigeria had no
justification not to develop marine tourism, which is a revenue-spinner for most countries, especially
at the period when diversification of the economy from oil was sacrosanct.
“The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the fisheries sector contributed 1.09% of the country’s total
GDP in the year 2020 and 0.9% in the Q3 of 2021. We are regarded as a net importer of fishery
products. But we are determined to change the narrative by putting in place measures to make
Nigeria a major player in that regard.
“Nigeria makes up about 853 kilometers of the estimated 47,000 kilometers of coastline in Africa.
Nigeria has one of the largest wetlands in the world, with its coastal and marine ecosystems covering
a total of 70,000 square kilometers. There are countries around the world that rely solely on
earnings from the tourism sector. Here in Nigeria, we also have what it takes to attract tourists to
waters. Therefore, we shall be developing the infrastructure in cities and towns that are lake or
coastal facing for this purpose”, he stated.
The Minister, therefore, commended the Management of NIMASA under the leadership of Dr. Bashir
Jamoh, OFR, for his determination in ensuring that the Agency fulfils its mandate.
Earlier, NIMASA boss, Dr Bashir Jamoh, informed described Oyetola's appointment as unique and
timely. The DG noted that the Minister’s appointment was based on the industry and stakeholders’
clamors for independence.
Nigerian Ports has Growth Opportunities – APM Terminals
APM Terminals has stated that Nigerians ports has huge growth opportunities if we'll harnessed.
APM Terminals Nigeria oversees the operation of APM Terminals Apapa, West Africa Container
Terminal (WACT) Onne and APM Terminals Kano.
Commercial Manager, APM Terminals West Africa Container Terminal (WACT), Ismaila Badjie, stated
this during the Nigerian Ports and Trade Investment Forum 2023, which held in Lagos State, recently.
He said APM Terminals became a leading container terminal operator because it focuses on meeting
the needs of its customers. He also pointed out that the West Africa Container Terminal in Onne,
Rivers State has adopted online services which makes for quick delivery of trucks from the ports.
He said; "At APM Terminals, we ensure that the customers are at the center of our operations and
thought processes. In West Africa Container Terminal Onne, we invested in a landscape; we are
building a new terminal, which is almost completed. We also have online services such as Truck
Appointment System which enable customers create, change or cancel their truck appointment time
slots and TERMView, which enables customers to raise invoices, make payments, book container
examination and download receipts from the comforts of their offices or homes without having to
visit the port.
“At APM Terminals, we seek to make processes easy for our customers. The way forward is to take
the bull by the horn by collaborating to make a difference to the customer."
Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer of APM Terminals Nigeria, Frederik Klinke informed that that
implementing technology can increase the capacity and efficiency of the ports.
Klinke said that technology can help build collaboration between government agencies and the
private sector to find common solutions to the challenges facing supply chain in the country.
He also ststed that APM Terminals has deployed software solutions that allow customers interact
with its staff online, thereby reducing physical interactions at the port.
“We are rolling out customer-centric solutions globally at APM Terminals, which allow an increased
feasibility between what happens in Nigeria and other ports. The next frontier for us is to enable the
connectivity between our systems, customs, other governmental agencies and customers that need
to have visibility on the containers before they come into the country", he stated.