In August 2023, President Bola Tinubu appointed Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola as the pioneer Minister of Marine and Blue Economy.
The Ministry superintends Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC); Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA); National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) Oron, and the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN). These are agencies that are already saddled with their respective challenges, which predate the birth of the new ministry.
The creation of the ministry is quite a relief for industry stakeholders who for so many years, had specifically clamoured for a maritime industry ministry. They had inched their demand on the belief that the ministry would enhance the sector and generally engender economic growth.
But their prayers were answered in a more than the expected way. A dedicated ministry for marine and blue economy was created. It is therefore natural to expect much from the new ministry.
The fact is that the blue economy holds a great potential for the country. It represents the unfolding fact that Nigeria’s yet-untapped potentials are enormous.
The Word Bank says the Blue Economy is the “sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving the health of the ocean ecosystem”.
In a very simple language, the blue economy encompasses all economic activities related to oceans, seas, and other bodies of water. These assets also include various sectors such as fisheries, aquaculture, maritime transport, renewable energy, tourism, and mineral resources.
Nigeria is no doubt, blessed with an extensive coastline and abundant water resources, and a huge potential within the blue economy.
Certainly, all the potentials in the nation’s vast blue economy had remained untapped. This is what the Minister was appointed to explore and exploit for the good of the nation.
We recall that at the inception of the ministry, the Minister had acknowledged the abundant marine resources existing in the country’s coastal region.
The minister also specifically promised to promote better inter-agency cooperation and coordination between the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Nigerian Ports Authority and Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority.
.As the minister in charge of this ministry, Oyetola was expected to move the nation out of the stereotyped and restrictive shipping and maritime business.
We agree with experts who have posited that, to achieve the objectives of its creation, the minister must know that blue economy must develop the Nigerian inland waterways, coastal shipping and revamp maritime logistics across the country.
Experts have also reminded whoever cares to listen that the focus should also be on renewable ocean energy, fisheries and aquaculture, safety of navigation, while building seaports and shipping; working on marine biotechnology research and development; enhancing marine tourism and cruise tourism; exploring offshore hydrocarbons and seabed minerals.
While we agree that, unlike some other Ministers who had their jobs cut out for them, Mr Oyetola has had to learn the curves and eventually knit the traditional marine business with the equally and perhaps more lucrative blue economy.
About two years ago, this newspaper on this page, spelt out what we considered as agenda for Mr Oyetola. Sadly, most of these issues have remained unattended to.
There is no overemphasizing the fact the traditional maritime industry sub-sectors have their legion of challenges. The Minister actually needed to ‘redesign’ the ministry to align with the realities of the blue economy and the challenges to deliver on his mandate as the Minister in charge.
Shamefully, the ports are still in need of infrastructure upgrade. Almost all the ports facilities are old, dilapidated and lacking modern infrastructure. The management of the Nigerian Ports Authority had done its bit, by kick-starting the process of funds acquisition from multinational sources. The management of NPA has equally assured that there would be no problem with repayment of the loans from revenues earned by the agency.
Another issue for which stakeholders rate the minister low is the delayed renewal of the concessions of the various terminal operators at the ports. There are allegations of abuse and non-adherence to terms and conditions of the contractual agreements.
One area that ought to have received the minister’s attention since August 2023, is the need to pay attention to the numerous plights of Nigerian ship owners; especially, the need for disbursement of the Cabotage Vessel Finance Fund (CVFF). This would have been the simplest task to accomplish, if political will was there. There has been no movement concerning the disbursement apart from the deceitful roll-out of guidelines and the naming of Primary Lending Institutions. These are familiar steps that have repeatedly being taken by successive Ministers. We had hoped that Oyetola would seize the opportunity of heading a new ministry to break the jinx that CVFF has become.
Nigerian seafarers are largely unemployed, because the fleet of ships owned by Nigerians have largely been depleted.
It was also advised that there was need to take a critical look at the National Seafarers’ Development Programme. It is a well-intended programme, but it is being abused and requires an overhaul.
However, if one looks at the peculiarities of the ministry, one may be obliged to empathise with the Minister. But, No. He asked for the job, he got the job. So, he must do the job!
The various agencies are struggling to meet their targets. Some of the agencies are struggling to cope. An example is the CRFFN, NIWA and MAN Oron; three agencies that have been struggling. While the CRFFN is currently engaged in a survival battle owing to lingering funding and administrative challenges, the NIWA is being confronted with recurring issues of boat mishaps, often leading to fatalities.
The case with MAN Oron has to do with unstable identity. It is being tossed from being an academy for the training of manpower for the nation’s maritime industry, to transformation to a University.
Also, the minister points at the revenue generated by agencies like the NPA and NIMASA as his achievements. But we disagree. While it is true that earnings of the NPA and NIMASA have grown considerably since August 2023, but are these revenue growth attributed to the impact he had on the agencies. Is the ministry of marine and blue economy all about the earnings of NPA and NIMASA? If the minister thinks so, then he is far from understanding the mandate of the marine and blue economy ministry.
As we pointed out earlier, the creation of a dedicated ministry for marine and blue economy clearly signifies a leap forward from the stereotypical ministry of transportation which the nation has had for decades. Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, your assignment is a lot more than what previous ministers had under the Ministry of Transportation.
Yes, there is a new marine and a blue economy blue print, or national policy. The Federal Executive Council’s (FEC) has approved the country’s first-ever National Marine and Blue Economy Policy. The approval ought to chart a historic course toward sustainable development and ocean-based economic growth. But, what is a policy without impact?
The policy, which was approved on May 5, is expected to unlock the nation’s vast coastal and aquatic resources and establish a blueprint for long-term prosperity.
Minister Oyetola, himself described the approval as a “defining moment” and a strategic move that aligns environmental stewardship with inclusive economic expansion, even as he stated that the policy would serve as a comprehensive guide for the development of the marine and blue economy sector over the next decade. Apparently elated, Oyetola said. “It provides clear pathways for leveraging our marine resources for national development, while also protecting the environment.”
By his own admittance, Nigeria’s coastal assets — including 853 kilometers of coastline and a vast network of inland waterways, have remained underutilized for decades.
Can we then throw that challenge that, with the new marine and blue economy policy, Nigeria now has a framework that covers areas such as maritime trade, aquaculture, blue tourism, ocean energy, and environmental conservation. The Minister has no reason to slow down on implementation.
