By Oluyinka Onigbinde
Stakeholders at the 2025 Convention of the Alumni of Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron (AMANO) have urged the Federal Government to adopt a pragmatic, locally grounded approach in its pursuit of maritime sustainability, warning against wholesale adoption of international climate targets that do not align with Nigeria’s economic realities.
Delivering the keynote address, Capt. Suleiman Baiyee cautioned that Nigeria’s frequent inclination to commit to global net-zero deadlines without adequate examination of domestic conditions could undermine national development goals. Using India’s extended coal phase-out timeline as an example, he argued that climate transition strategies must reflect each country’s unique context.
“India refused the world’s 2040 coal phase-out target and opted for 2070 because it understood its own realities. But in Nigeria, we are busy signing up to tight global net-zero commitments even though we are just beginning to maximise gas as a transition fuel,” he stated.
Baiyee noted that conversations around the blue economy must be founded on an honest assessment of Nigeria’s economic structure, highlighting that oil and gas still account for about 90 percent of activities in the sector. He recalled the significant decline of Nigeria’s fishing industry over the decades, attributing part of the collapse to actions of local vessel captains who sold catches offshore at the expense of domestic investors.
He further observed gaps in planning across the country’s maritime administration system, particularly the production of thousands of cadets without corresponding plans for industry absorption.
“The Ministry’s 10-year roadmap contains excellent aspirations, but aspirations alone cannot solve the issues. We have over 4,000 cadets seeking placement because planning did not match output,” he said.
On gender inclusion, Baiyee disclosed that Nigeria now records 9 percent female participation in seafaring—far exceeding the global average of less than 2 percent. Drawing from years of supervising ship operations, he reported that vessels with female cadets often showed stronger performance.
He also pointed to instances of misaligned funding priorities in the sector, saying that while the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has invested over $100 million in maritime asset acquisition, far less has gone into shipyard development. Similarly, he noted that the NDDC spent $67 million on foreign training programmes despite the Maritime Academy of Nigeria possessing capable facilities.
“Funding exists; the challenge is prioritisation,” he said.
In his remarks, the Acting Rector of MAN Oron, Dr. Kevin Okonna, echoed the need for a green transition strategy tailored to Nigeria’s technological capacity and socioeconomic conditions. He said sustainability policies must be “realistic, technically feasible and economically meaningful.”
Okonna outlined ongoing reforms within the academy, including curriculum updates, faculty development and enhanced training facilities, all structured within a five-year strategic plan aimed at aligning seafarer training with national sustainability goals. He added that recent MOUs with the Abuja MoU on Port State Control and CILT Nigeria would broaden professional certification opportunities for cadets.
AMANO President, Mr. Emmanuel Maiguwa, called on the association’s members to deepen their role in advancing sustainability through mentorship, research support and policy advocacy. He stressed that the benefits of the blue economy would only be fully realised through practical and achievable green measures.
Also speaking, Dr. Gabriel Eto highlighted the longstanding gap between academia and the maritime industry, attributing part of the disconnect to limited hands-on industry experience among some academics. He recommended stronger engagement frameworks, awareness programmes and industry-focused research collaborations to ensure that maritime training meets industry needs.
Earlier, the Convention Planning Committee Chairman, Chief Jonathan Agassi, described the gathering as a convergence of professionals dedicated to repositioning Nigeria’s maritime sector. He said this year’s theme, “Greening the National Blue Economy,” underscores the urgency of adopting cleaner shipping practices, renewable ocean energy and environmentally responsible port operations through broad stakeholder cooperation.
