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Why Kenya has been preferred candidate for IMO category C ahead of Nigeria

President Uhuru Kenyatta tours the modern shipyard at the Mtongwe Navy base in Mombasa after commissioning it on December 17, 2021

Eyewitness reporter

Kenya has continued to develop its maritime infrastructure to position itself in the global maritime industry.

This has given the East African country an edge over Nigeria in the International Maritime Organisation(IMO) where it has consistently beaten Nigeria to the category C seat.

In 2019, Nigeria lost the seat by one vote to Kenya.

In the just-concluded 2021 edition of the IMO elections in London, while Nigeria failed in its sixth attempt to clinch the seat, Kenya retained the diadem in the council elections.

What makes Kenya thick in maritime Industry.

The East African country has continued to develop indigenous capacity in shipbuilding and repairs.

Last week, the country unveiled the largest shipyard in sub-Saharan Africa

The modern shipyard was located at the Mtongwe Navy base in Mombasa, making her the first country in sub-Saharan Africa with such a facility.

Kenya Shipyards Ltd (KSL) has the capacity to handle vessels of more than 4,000 tonnes and 150 metres and will boost the East African country’s status as a maritime hub.

The new facility has the longest slipway, a platform on which ships are secured and winched out of the water into a working area for construction, repair, refitting and maintenance.

The modern shipyard has two ship-building hangers, one 150 metres long and 30 metres high and a smaller one 120 metres long, 20 metres high and 13 metres wide.

President Uhuru Kenyatta officially opened the facility as Kenya eyes the lucrative shipbuilding and repair business.

The Navy project in Mtongwe gives Kenya a competitive advantage in shipbuilding and maritime engineering in eastern and central Africa, with the inauguration of a marine academy in Kisumu helping to boost human resource training for sustainable growth of the industry.

Certified ship welders

KSL will for the first time in Kenya’s history employ its own certified ship welders, which is part of the Kenyan government’s agenda to create over 10,000 jobs per year in the maritime sector, considering all ship welders in Kenya are foreign.

“In the project, Kenya, which owns about 17 military ships, seeks to save $6,800 million per vessel in maintenance fees every 10 years considering that since independence, all Kenyan ships have been serviced and maintained overseas, either in Spain or Netherlands.

Every ship has a lifespan of 10-15 years before a full makeover,” says a notice from the Kenya Defence Forces.

KSL is the anchor industry for the blue economy and will provide civil and modular infrastructure workshops, slipways, jetties, bridges and others required to support the maritime industry.

Kenya has already formed a full department on the national blue economy, which will require specialised vessels such as deep-sea fishing in the exclusive economic zone, where vast untapped marine fisheries resources are found.

Securing Kenya’s marine assets requires well-equipped vessels and KSL will play a key role in offering technical support.

Ship construction in Kenya is not a new concept.

The country built its first vessel – the MV Uhuru II – at the Kisumu port more than 70 years ago.

This is an example of how improving shipping and maritime infrastructure is a key component in Kenya’s economic roadmap, by harnessing maritime resources to propel its industrialisation agenda under Vision 2030.

The global market for ship construction, estimated at $126 billion in 2020, is dominated by South Korea (40 per cent), China (25 per cent) and Japan (15 per cent).

The global maritime trade value is worth $14 trillion, of which 40 per cent, worth $5.6 trillion, passes through the east coast of Africa.

This means that Kenya will for the first time have the chance to access $ 5.6 trillion of the trade that takes place in this region of Africa by ensuring ships pass through Kenya to undergo repair and maintenance.

Maritime stakeholders believed that not until Nigeria starts to harness its boundless maritime potentials will it be taken seriously by the global players who have consecutively denied the country to seat at the global maritime Council.

They pointed to a lot of gaps in the efforts of the government to develop the industry and harness its potentials.

They also decried the inability of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency(NIMASA) to deploy the multi-billion naira floating dockyard which has since been bogged down by controversies several years after it was purchased.

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NIMASA opens investigation into vessels collision accident at Bonny anchorage as five crew members sustain injuries

Funso OLOJO, Editor

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Administration(NIMASA) has opened a full scale investigation into the accident which occurred as a result of a collision between a container vessel, MV MAERSK VALPARAISO, and an oil tanker, MT LADY MARTINA, at the Bonny Inner Anchorage.

The accident which occurred on May 20th, 2026, has triggered a flurry of activities, has resulted in an oil spill in the affected area.

The Deep Blue Operating Base (FOB) in Bonny received a distress call at approximately 1130 hours regarding the collision involving MV Valparaiso, a Singapore-flagged container vessel with IMO No. 9433054, and MT Lady Martina, a Nigerian-flagged oil products tanker with IMO No. 5104033.

In response, the Base immediately deployed 10 armed personnel onboard DB 214, one of the interceptor boats under the Deep Blue Project, to the scene of the incident.

Five crew members onboard MT Lady Martina sustained varying degrees of injuries and were promptly evacuated to the FOB Bonny sickbay for medical attention.

Following the collision, MT Lady Martina drifted ashore and is currently aground along the Bonny Channel, while MV Valparaiso remains grounded at the Bonny Inner Anchorage pending damage assessment and further investigation.

The management of MAERSK has officially reported the incident to the Agency.

Consequently, the Director General of NIMASA, Dayo Mobereola, has ordered a full investigation into the immediate and remote causes of the collision.

In addition, NIMASA has established a Situation Monitoring Room to coordinate response efforts and monitor developments arising from the incident.

Dr. Mobereola, who was personally on ground in Rivers State to inaugurate the situation room, also directed the Agency’s Marine Environment Management Department to immediately commence an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the affected area, while taking necessary steps to mitigate the impact of the Tier 1 oil sheen and protect the marine environment.

NIMASA promised to update the public with the outcome of the investigation into the incident.

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NIMASA deepens maritime security as 492 Deep Blue personnel graduate in tactical training.

Funso OLOJO, Port Harcourt.

The Nigeria’s maritime security received a massive boost as 492 personnel of the iconic Deep Blue project have graduated from tactical trainings received across some of the best security institutions in the world.

Unveiling the graduants in their tactical attires at the Elele military barrack, Port Harcourt, the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Administration( NIMASA), Dr Dayo Mobereola, said the occasion gave the agency a sense of fulfillment and accomplishment on its task to ensure Nigeria’s maritime domain is secured.

According to him, the 492 graduating Deep Blue personnel undergone specialized trainings conducted across several strategic training locations across the world, including Italy, Switzerland, Australia, Syria and

Nigeria.

He disclosed that the training has therefore exposed the personnel, taken from across different units of the Deep Blue project, to global best practices and international operational standards in maritime security operations.

“Today’s event is a demonstration of

operational readiness, institutional resilience and Nigeria’s determination to maintain a safe, secure and economically viable maritime environment.

“With many people are not fully aware of the level of operations and integration and technological capacity that supports these achievements.

“The Deep Blue architecture integrates two special mission aircraft equipped with advanced maritime surveillance sensors, three special mission helicopters for over-the-sea operations and surveillance, two special mission vessels for deep sea operations, eight unmanned aerial vehicles for real-time intelligence gathering, 16 fast interception boats for rapid tactical response and 15 armed coastal patrol vessels.

” The Command, Control, Communication, Computer and Intelligence Center, the C4I, serves as

the central coordination hub for military domain awareness and operational response.

“As many of you may recall, the Gulf of Guinea was once regarded as one of the most challenging military

maritime regions in the world due to incidents of piracy and robbery.

“Today, through the Deep Blue project and the collective efforts of all stakeholders, we are proud to say that Nigeria has

transformed the narrative which has resulted in zero piracy incidents since 2022.

“This has restored trust among global shipping operators, investors, and maritime stakeholders.

Mobereola expressed appreciation the Minister of Marine and Blue

Economy, Adeboyega Oyetola, for what he described as his exemplary leadership, strategic guidance, and steadfast commitment to promoting maritime security initiatives in Nigeria.

He also acknowledged the role the Minister of Defense, General

Christopher Musa and the Minister of State for Defense, Dr. Belo

Matawale for their continued support and commitment towards strengthening national security and enhancing interagency cooperation in the maritime domain.

Mobereola commended the Nigerian Navy, Air Force, Army, the Nigerian Police Force, the Department of State Services, (DSS) and all security and intelligence agencies whose professionalism and

cooperation continue to strengthen the operational success of the Deep Blue project.

Hee made special mention of Deep Blue project technical partner HLSI, Security Systems Technologies Limited, for their invaluable support, technical expertise, commitment to capacity development, and strategic partnership in the implementation and sustainability of the Deep Blue project.

NIMASA DG also congratulated the graduating personnel for successfully completing the important steps of their professional journey.

“This strength you have received comes with enormous responsibility as you are expected to uphold high standards of professionalism, discipline, integrity, and the discharge of your duties.

Tge event was by the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, the Minister of Defense, General

Christopher Musa and the Minister of State for Defense, Dr. Belo

Matawale, high military personnel from Navy, Army and Sir force.

Headlines

WHO honors NFVCB over tobacco control in entertainment industry

Funso OLOJO, Editor

The National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) has been honoured with the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General’s Special Award, African Region, receiving a Certificate of Appreciation for its outstanding contributions to tobacco control advocacy and the promotion of responsible media content in Nigeria.

The NFVCB is the only institution among the five-person African Region winners unveiled as part of the activities commemorating World No Tobacco Day.

This recognition by the DG of the WHO, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, acknowledges the Board’s leadership in regulating the depiction and promotion of tobacco and nicotine products in Nigerian films, music videos, skits, and other audiovisual content, particularly those accessible to young audiences.

The WHO Director-General’s Awards are presented annually ahead of World No Tobacco Day on May 31 to honour individuals and organizations across WHO’s six regions for exceptional work in advancing the implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC).

NFVCB was recognized for its landmark 2024 regulations prohibiting the promotion, and glamourization of tobacco and nicotine products in entertainment content.

The regulations require that any necessary depiction of tobacco use in films and videos must carry health warnings, receive the highest classification rating, and be restricted to audiences aged 18 years and above.

The regulations also mandate producers to place a disclaimer and disclose any relationship with the tobacco and nicotine industry while prohibiting tobacco brand display and product placement in entertainment content.

The policy aligns with the implementation guidelines of Article 13 of the WHO FCTC on tobacco depiction in entertainment media.

With the introduction of the regulations, Nigeria became the first country in Africa and only the second globally to establish such comprehensive safeguards against the glamorization of tobacco use on screen.

Research and WHO guidance have consistently shown that the portrayal of tobacco use in entertainment media normalizes smoking behaviour and increases the likelihood of tobacco uptake among young people.

Through clear regulatory standards, the Board is helping to reduce exposure to pro-tobacco imagery while promoting socially responsible storytelling within Nigeria’s creative industry.

The recognition also aligns with the 8-Point Agenda of the Honourable Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Barrister Hannatu Musa Musawa, aimed at strengthening policy frameworks, promoting responsible creative content, preserving cultural values, and positioning Nigeria as Africa’s creative capital by 2030.

Speaking on the recognition, the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NFVCB, Dr.Shaibu Husseini, described the award as a validation of the Board’s efforts toward promoting responsible storytelling and safeguarding public interest through effective content regulation.

“This award is a validation of the work we have done with the Nigerian creative industry to promote responsible storytelling.

“The goal has never been to censor art, but to ensure that our films do not inadvertently market products that are harmful to public health,” he stated.

Dr. Husseini reaffirmed the Board’s commitment to supporting initiatives that promote healthy societal values, protect children and vulnerable audiences, and strengthen the positive influence of Nigeria’s entertainment industry globally.

The ED also expressed appreciation to the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, filmmakers, producers, and advocacy partners, especially Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), National Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA), and Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK), for their collaboration in advancing the policy.

The Board stated that it would continue to strengthen enforcement of the regulations, expand public education and stakeholder engagement, and deepen collaboration with WHO, the WHO FCTC Secretariat, and relevant stakeholders in promoting responsible entertainment content and public health protection.