Experts in the maritime sector have called for the exploration of biodiversity, deep sea mining, cable line activities and maritime tourism among others to transform the blue economy.

They also tipped the marine sector to address the power generation issues via renewable energy as well as food insecurity through fisheries.They stated this at the silver jubilee of the League of Maritime Editors (LOME) in Lagos themed, ‘Harnessing Nigeria’s Potential in Marine and Blue Economy/The New Customs 2023 Act and its implication on Trade’.

A lecturer at the Nigerian Maritime University (NMU), Okerenkoko, Delta State, Dr. Charles Okorefe, said biodiversity, ocean exploration, deep sea mining, cable line activities and maritime tourism are absent in Nigeria.

Okorefe, who is also the Chief Executive Officer, Kamany Marine Services, said in The Gambia and the Caribbeans, marine tourism is the main source of its national income, whereas Nigeria is still far behind.

“People flock to the Bahamas, Curacao and all of those small island nations who have nothing else but their marine environment bringing in billions of dollars,” he said.

Okorefe noted that there is a projection of over 100 million jobs through the nation’s blue economy in about 30 years, stressing that a lot could be harnessed through the nation’s marine system and the blue economy.

“Nigeria has been a maritime nation for a very long time. We have been running our port systems beginning from when the Port-Harcourt port was established in 1912 and the Apapa port in 1924. Up till now, we have had several ports doting the landscape of Nigeria where import and export trades take place. But the blue economy is deeper than that,” he stated.

He encouraged the supervisory ministry to explore partnerships with other related ministries to gainfully exploit ocean and marine resources. Okorefe said the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy has a lot of work to do, while the parastatal under it has to be on their toes and key into the vision of the blue economy. He said the faster stakeholders get the acts right by bringing together those who can drive the vision of the ministry, the better it is for Nigeria.

Also speaking, the President of the Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON), Frank Ogunojemite, attributed some of the challenges faced by operators at ports to neglect by the Federal Government.

Ogunojemite revealed that for over one week, cargoes could not exit the port due to the epileptic server of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS). He lamented that importers and freight forwarders are made to pay huge demurrage for the inadequacies of the government through its technical partner, Webb Fontaine.

“When the problem is fixed, will there be a compensatory arrangement or waivers for the rent period at terminals?” the APFFLON President queried.
Responding, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, described the theme for the anniversary as apt to examine the contributions of the marine sector to trade, commercial development and national economic growth.

Oyetola, who was represented by the Ministry’s Director, Press and Public Relations, Mr. Olujimi Oyetomi, said the ministry has set up machinery and structures for the sector and made all principal actors and agencies key into realising the potential of the sector for job creation, social development and increased contributions to economic development.