Funso OLOJO,  Editor

The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has declared that Nigeria’s maritime sector has undergone a far-reaching transformation in the three years since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu created the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy in August 2023.

Oyetola, while presenting the Ministry’s three-year scorecard, said the administration had made significant progress in unlocking the economic potential of Nigeria’s 853-kilometre coastline and extensive inland waterways, with the marine and blue economy increasingly emerging as a major driver of revenue, trade, security and employment.

According to him, the reform programme has produced measurable gains in revenue generation, port infrastructure, maritime security, regulation, indigenous shipping, human-capital development, fisheries and inland-waterway safety.

“At the heart of our mandate is a simple but powerful objective: to turn Nigeria’s vast marine resources into sustainable economic value for Nigerians,” Oyetola said.

Revenue climbs 160 per cent

The Minister identified revenue growth as one of the clearest indicators of the sector’s transformation.

Agencies under the Ministry generated ₦1.83 trillion in 2025, representing a 160 per cent increase over the ₦700.79 billion recorded in 2023.

Oyetola attributed the surge to regulatory reforms, stronger revenue assurance, digitisation and the systematic closure of financial leakages.

He said the improved revenue performance was part of a broader strategy to establish a more transparent, efficient and investment-friendly maritime economy.

Nigeria gets first blue economy policy

A major milestone of the reform programme, according to Oyetola, was the approval in May 2025 of Nigeria’s first National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy.

He said the policy provided, for the first time, a unified framework for developing shipping, fisheries, offshore energy, marine biotechnology and other emerging opportunities within the marine economy.

“This policy gives us a clear roadmap. It provides the predictability and transparency investors need while ensuring that our marine resources are developed sustainably,” he said.

The Minister said the policy would guide government intervention while providing greater certainty for private-sector investment across the marine and blue economy value chain.

Ports undergo major transformation

Port modernisation, Oyetola said, remained at the centre of the Ministry’s transformation agenda.

He said the Federal Government was implementing a comprehensive programme to upgrade major seaports, including Apapa, Tin Can Island, Onne, Rivers, Calabar and Warri.

The programme covers channel improvements, modern cargo-handling infrastructure and increased digitisation of terminal operations, aimed at improving efficiency and enabling Nigerian ports to handle larger volumes of international trade.

The reforms have also attracted international recognition.

The World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence ranked Tin Can Island Port 10th and Lagos Port Complex, Apapa, 12th among the world’s 20 most improved container ports between 2020 and 2025.

Oyetola said government had also made progress in tackling congestion around the Apapa port environment through the electronic truck call-up system, dedicated holding bays and expanded inland barging.

The acquisition of modern tugboats, pilot cutters and dredging equipment by the Nigerian Ports Authority, he added, had further strengthened port operations.

“We have moved from managing congestion to building a port system that can compete globally,” Oyetola said.

He said the Federal Government was also pursuing an expansion of port capacity through deep-seaport projects in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Bayelsa, Ondo, Lagos and Rivers states.

The operationalisation of inland dry ports, including the Funtua Inland Dry Port in Katsina State, is similarly expected to take cargo-handling and clearance services closer to businesses in the hinterland and reduce pressure on coastal ports.

Regulation, lower costs for port users

The Minister said regulatory reforms had also delivered tangible benefits to businesses operating in the maritime sector.

According to him, the new Nigeria Ports Economic Regulatory Authority framework will strengthen economic regulation of the port sector, while interventions by the Ministry and its agencies have saved port users more than ₦86 billion in unjustified demurrage.

He added that nearly 300 commercial disputes had been resolved through Alternative Dispute Resolution.

Oyetola said government had introduced measures to eliminate unauthorised shipping charges and strengthen freight and foreign-exchange verification in an effort to reduce leakages and curb capital flight.

He said the objective was to create a maritime business environment where legitimate operators could compete on a level playing field while Nigerian businesses were protected from avoidable costs.

Maritime security records major gains

Improved port efficiency, Oyetola said, had been accompanied by significant gains in maritime security.

Nigeria has maintained zero piracy in its territorial waters for four consecutive years, according to the Minister, with maritime security assets deployed under the Deep Blue Project helping to secure the country’s waters.

He said the achievement had eliminated costly piracy-related surcharges on vessels calling at Nigerian ports while strengthening Nigeria’s reputation as a safer maritime corridor.

Nigeria also regained its seat on the International Maritime Organization Category C Council in November 2025, following a 14-year absence.

Through the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, the country also secured the lifting of the 12-year United States Coast Guard Condition of Entry restrictions affecting vessels arriving from Nigerian ports.

“These achievements demonstrate that Nigeria is not only reforming its maritime sector at home; we are reclaiming our rightful voice and influence internationally,” Oyetola said.

Indigenous shipping gets renewed attention

Oyetola said the Federal Government remained committed to increasing Nigerian participation in the shipping industry.

He disclosed that plans were at an advanced stage to revive a national shipping carrier through a public-private partnership, while the long-awaited process for disbursing the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF) had commenced.

The fund, he said, would enable Nigerian shipowners to acquire modern vessels and strengthen indigenous capacity.

“We cannot build a truly blue economy if Nigerians remain spectators in their own maritime industry,” he said.

Human-capital development has also received increased attention, with seafarer training and sea-time placements expanded to create more opportunities for Nigerians seeking careers at sea.

According to Oyetola, the interventions have contributed to an increase of more than 80 per cent in average seafarer earnings.

He added that the Ministry, through the Nigeria Port Economic Regulatory Agency, facilitated a ₦200,000 monthly minimum wage for maritime and shipping workers.

Blue economy expands beyond ports

Oyetola said the Ministry’s transformation agenda extends beyond shipping and ports to fisheries, inland waterways, marine safety and environmental sustainability.

He said the Ministry supported the Federal Government’s Naira-for-Crude policy by streamlining marine logistics for domestic refineries.

On inland waterways, safety interventions have included the distribution of thousands of lifejackets and plans to replace unsafe wooden boats with modern fibreglass vessels.

The fisheries sector, he said, recorded further growth, with fish production reaching 1.4 million metric tonnes in 2025.

Nigeria also achieved 100 per cent compliance with Turtle Excluder Device requirements among inspected commercial shrimp trawlers, helping to protect marine biodiversity and preserve access to international markets.

Oyetola said the interventions reflected the Ministry’s broader philosophy that economic development and environmental sustainability should reinforce rather than undermine each other.

Digitisation and new institutions

Institutional reform has also featured prominently in the Ministry’s three-year programme.

Oyetola said the Ministry had digitised its internal operations through an Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS) to improve efficiency, transparency and accountability.

He also disclosed that the Ministry helped resolve a 16-year impasse that paved the way for the operationalisation of the Regional Maritime Development Bank (RMDB) in Nigeria.

According to him, the development would improve access to financing for businesses and projects across the maritime value chain.

Foundation for the next phase

Oyetola said the achievements recorded over the past three years should be regarded as the foundation for a much larger economic opportunity.

He said the ultimate objective was to establish a maritime ecosystem in which efficient ports support trade, stronger security attracts shipping, Nigerian businesses capture a greater share of the maritime value chain, coastal and inland communities benefit from new economic opportunities, and marine resources are developed sustainably.

According to him, the combination of rising revenues, a new national policy framework, port modernisation, improved maritime security, stronger regulation, investment in human capital and renewed international engagement had placed Nigeria’s marine and blue economy on a stronger trajectory.

“The blue economy is no longer an untapped frontier. It is becoming a major engine of national prosperity, regional competitiveness and sustainable growth,” Oyetola said.