The Maritime Media & Capacity Development Centre is set to officially launch it’s operations today, Wednesday, December 17, 2025, in Lagos, marking what stakeholders have described as a major turning point for maritime journalism and capacity building in Nigeria.
The launch, which coincides with the 10th Anniversary Annual Seminar for Maritime Journalists holding today, is aimed at addressing long-standing gaps in structured training, research, mentorship and professional development within the maritime media space.
The strategic importance of the centre is reflected in the calibre of personalities steering its affairs. Chairman of the Advisory Board of Trustees, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Dr. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, brings to the initiative his background in communications and reform-driven public sector leadership, with a strong appreciation of the role of informed media engagement in customs modernisation and trade automation.
Other members of the advisory structure include the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Dr. Akutah Pius Ukeyima; Director of Operations at Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, Capt. Warredi Eniosuoh; Registrar of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria, Chief Kingsley Igwe; and Vice President of the International Transport Workers Federation, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju.
Observers say the convergence of regulatory, operational and labour leadership within the centre’s governance framework signals a deliberate effort to strengthen the maritime press through a broad-based, industry-backed approach.
The centre is opening its doors at a time when the maritime sector is undergoing critical reforms, particularly in digital trade facilitation and regulatory efficiency. These themes are central to today’s 10th anniversary seminar, which brings together regulators, operators and journalists for strategic engagement.
Over the past decade, the annual seminar has played a key role in shaping maritime discourse, focusing on port operations, policy reforms, logistics, shipping economics and inland trade performance. This year’s edition is expected to deepen industry understanding of emerging reforms, including Nigeria’s proposed National Single Window.
A special Business Dialogue on the National Single Window will be held with emphasis on its commercial benefits, operational requirements and implications for importers, exporters and port users.
Also scheduled for today is a training session on “Data Analysis for Effective Maritime Reporting,” to be facilitated by the National Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Customs Service, Dr. Abdullahi Maiwada. The session is designed to equip journalists with skills to interpret trade data, revenue figures, cargo statistics, vessel traffic, freight trends and port performance indicators.
The keynote address at the seminar will be delivered by the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Dr. Akutah Ukeyima, who is expected to speak on regulatory efficiency, investment protection and the media’s role in promoting transparency within the maritime business environment.
Stakeholders say the launch of the Maritime Media & Capacity Development Centre provides a permanent institutional platform to sustain such training and engagement beyond periodic events, while also strengthening collaboration between maritime journalists and industry regulators.
Industry watchers note that as Nigeria seeks to unlock the economic potential of its maritime and blue economy sectors, the role of a knowledgeable, analytical and data-driven media has become increasingly critical.
The unveiling of the centre today, alongside the 10th anniversary of the maritime journalists’ seminar, is widely seen as the beginning of a new era for maritime reporting in Nigeria, reinforcing the view that a stronger maritime industry is closely linked to a stronger and more informed maritime media.
