Funso OLOJO, Editor

Stakeholders at the 4th Ehingbeti Maritime Hub Summit have called for the establishment of a dedicated Coastal Resilience Fund to finance coastal protection, infrastructure development and livelihood-support programmes in communities threatened by environmental degradation and inadequate infrastructure.

The stakeholders said such a financing mechanism would provide a sustainable funding window for strengthening Nigeria’s coastal communities while enabling them to participate more actively in the emerging marine and blue economy.

The call was made at the 4th Ehingbeti Maritime Hub Summit held Thursday at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, where experts, policymakers and industry players examined the legal, regulatory, security and investment frameworks required to unlock Nigeria’s blue economy potential.

Delivering the keynote address, President of the Maritime Arbitrators Association of Nigeria (MAAN), Chief Jean Chiazor Anishere, SAN, said Nigeria needed to move beyond policy declarations and develop practical financing mechanisms capable of addressing the infrastructure and environmental challenges confronting its coastal communities.

Anishere urged the Federal Government to leverage international financing opportunities, including climate funds, development finance institutions and multilateral organisations, to scale up investments in coastal resilience and community development.

She said sustained investment in coastal infrastructure would protect livelihoods, strengthen economic assets and create an enabling environment for coastal communities to benefit directly from the blue economy.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria also stressed the importance of effective governance, saying Nigeria’s blue economy could only thrive where there was a predictable legal and institutional framework for investment, innovation and sustainable exploitation of marine resources.

She called for a regulatory regime that would provide certainty and security for investors while remaining flexible enough to encourage innovation, environmentally responsible enough to protect marine resources and inclusive enough to deliver benefits to coastal populations.

According to her, security, sustainability and governance would remain critical pillars of Nigeria’s blue economy development.

Anishere further advocated improved waste-management infrastructure, sustainable fishing practices, recycling education and environmental stewardship programmes targeted at coastal communities.

She also urged greater private-sector participation in blue tourism, resilient infrastructure and marine-based enterprises, stressing the need for appropriate incentives, streamlined regulations and public-private partnerships.

Representing Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs Bopo Oyekan-Ismaila, said the state was committed to an inclusive approach to blue economy development.

She noted that although the Ehingbeti initiative was historically associated with Lagos Island, the state’s blue economy agenda would extend to communities across Lagos.

Oyekan-Ismaila said Governor Sanwo-Olu had encouraged participants to collaborate in producing a communiqué that would provide practical recommendations for advancing the blue economy agenda of Lagos State.

The Convener of the Ehingbeti Maritime Hub and Founder of the Ocean Ambassadors Foundation, Hon. Olaitan Violet Williams, said the Hub was established in 2023 to reconnect Lagos with its rich maritime history.

According to her, Ehingbeti represents an important chapter in the evolution of Lagos from its early trading history to the modern-day Eko.

Williams identified inland waterways as one of the most immediate opportunities available to Nigeria under the blue economy agenda, but lamented that the country’s estimated 10,000 kilometres of waterways remained largely underutilised.

She called for increased investment and stronger legal protection for investors, arguing that Nigeria could not unlock the economic value of its waterways while large sections remained unnavigable.

The Chairman of the occasion and Chairman of the NIWA Governing Board, Alhaji Mukhtar Shehu Shagari, represented by a member of the Board, Capt. Tajudeen Alao, commended Williams for her commitment to the development of Nigeria’s marine and blue economy.

Shagari said coastal communities must remain at the centre of blue economy policies and called for an appropriate legal framework to accelerate the development of Nigeria’s littoral states.

Representing the Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Abubakar Mustapha, Rear Admiral N.C. Okon called for stronger maritime regulation and effective enforcement of existing laws.

Okon identified “sea blindness” as one of the factors limiting Nigeria’s ability to fully exploit its maritime potential.

He said effective collaboration among government agencies, coastal communities and development partners was essential to building a sustainable maritime economy.

According to him, Nigeria’s blue economy ambitions could not be sustained in an environment characterised by insecurity, environmental degradation, illicit maritime activities and regulatory uncertainty.

He reaffirmed the Nigerian Navy’s commitment to providing the secure maritime environment necessary for commerce, investment and the sustainable exploitation of the country’s marine resources.

Also speaking, Chairman of the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB), Ekeoma Ezeibe, described insurance as a critical component of maritime and blue economy development.

She said adequate insurance protection was necessary to safeguard maritime assets, infrastructure and businesses against the wide range of risks associated with marine operations.

A major highlight of the summit was the launch of the 28 Inland Waterways Investment Jigsaw, an initiative designed to identify and showcase viable investment opportunities across Nigeria’s inland waterways and provide a structured pathway for increased private-sector participation.

The initiative is expected to support investment in water transportation and other marine-related businesses by drawing attention to specific opportunities across the country’s inland waterways.

The summit brought together government representatives, maritime professionals, security agencies, legal practitioners, insurers, traditional rulers, academics, private-sector operators and representatives of coastal communities.

Participants reaffirmed the need for stronger regulation, enhanced maritime security, sustainable financing, infrastructure investment and community inclusion if Nigeria is to translate its vast blue economy potential into sustainable economic growth and improved livelihoods.

Funso OLOJO, Editor

Chairman of SIFAX Group, Dr Taiwo Afolabi, has called for a fundamental shift in the global approach to conflict prevention, urging world leaders to make economic investment, infrastructure development and job creation central to efforts to build lasting peace.

Afolabi said preventing conflicts should not be limited to diplomatic interventions after crises had erupted, but must also address the economic and social conditions that make communities and nations vulnerable to instability.

He made the call in New York, United States, while speaking at the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Global Executive Roundtable on Diplomacy, Multilateralism and Conflict Resolution.

According to him, the growing combination of geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainty, climate pressures, inequality and declining public confidence in institutions requires a coordinated global response that combines preventive diplomacy with sustainable development and economic inclusion.

He argued that peace and economic prosperity were mutually reinforcing, stressing that investment could create the opportunities and shared interests necessary for more stable societies.

“Peace creates the environment for investment, investment creates opportunity, and opportunity strengthens the foundations of peace,” he said.

Afolabi said the link between peace and development was particularly significant for Africa, where infrastructure deficits, limited access to financing, trade barriers and inadequate economic opportunities continue to constrain development.

He called for an investment-driven approach to Africa’s peacebuilding efforts, with greater attention to transport infrastructure, ports, energy, technology, manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare, education and human capital development.

“Africa’s peacebuilding agenda must be accompanied by an investment agenda. We need investment in transport infrastructure, ports, energy, technology, manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare, education and human capital,” he said.

The SIFAX Group chairman also called for stronger regional value chains and improved connectivity across African economies, arguing that the successful implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) would require investments extending beyond the signing of trade agreements.

According to him, efficient infrastructure, logistics networks, digital systems, access to finance and sustained political cooperation would be critical to translating AfCFTA into tangible economic opportunities for Africans.

“Trade and connectivity can create shared interests among nations. The success of AfCFTA depends not only on trade agreements but on infrastructure, efficient logistics, digital systems, financing and political cooperation.”

Afolabi further highlighted the role of the private sector in building economic connections that can foster cooperation among communities, businesses and countries.

Drawing from SIFAX Group’s operations spanning maritime, logistics, aviation, financial services, oil and gas and hospitality, he said infrastructure and connectivity should be viewed beyond their commercial value and recognised as instruments of broader economic development and social stability.

He explained that efficient logistics systems could connect producers to markets, manufacturers to consumers and businesses to international value chains while strengthening economic links between countries.

“A functioning logistics system can connect farmers to markets, manufacturers to consumers, businesses to international value chains and countries to one another,” he said.

He added that such economic connections could create shared interests and incentives for cooperation, making infrastructure and investment important components of a comprehensive global peacebuilding strategy.

Afolabi’s intervention places the private sector and economic development at the centre of the wider international conversation on diplomacy, multilateralism and conflict prevention, particularly in developing regions where economic exclusion and infrastructure gaps remain significant challenges.

Gloria Odion Maritme reporter 

High port charges, ageing infrastructure, fragmented digital systems and poor stakeholder attitudes have emerged as major threats to the competitiveness of Nigerian ports, maritime industry stakeholders have warned.

They said the challenges were driving up the cost of cargo handling, delaying vessel and cargo turnaround, weakening the attractiveness of Nigerian ports and potentially diverting cargoes to competing ports in neighbouring countries.

The stakeholders spoke during a panel session at the 4th Maritime Reporters’ Association of Nigeria (MARAN) Maritime Annual Lecture (MAMAL 2026), held at the Nigerian Air Force Events Centre, 1 Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The lecture was themed “Nigerian Ports Modernisation, Charges and the Competitiveness Question.”

Moderating the session, Mr Emmanuel Maigunwa said port competitiveness should not be viewed merely from the perspective of reducing the cost of importing and exporting goods, but also in terms of positioning Nigeria as a major regional trade and transit hub.

He said efficient and competitively priced ports would reduce the burden on businesses and consumers while enabling Nigeria to attract transit cargoes from neighbouring countries and maximise the economic benefits of its strategic maritime location.

Representing the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Mr Willem Inya identified the multiplicity of port charges as a major concern for private-sector operators.

According to him, importers are often confronted with several charges in the course of clearing their containers, while delays frequently lead to additional demurrage and other costs.

He called for the harmonisation and rationalisation of port charges, warning that excessive and multiple charges could undermine the competitiveness of Nigerian businesses.

Also speaking, the Assistant General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Planning, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mr Joseph Adegbite, identified ageing infrastructure as one of the most critical constraints to efficient port operations.

Adegbite said most Nigerian ports, with the exception of the Lekki Deep Sea Port, were more than 50 years old, making large-scale infrastructure renewal imperative to improving productivity and efficiency.

He explained that deteriorating infrastructure limits the deployment of modern cargo-handling equipment, thereby affecting productivity and increasing vessel and cargo dwell time.

“Every inefficiency in port operations ultimately translates into additional costs for port users and consumers,” he said.

Adegbite disclosed that the Federal Government’s port modernisation programme would commence with the Lagos port complex, given the area’s dominant share of Nigeria’s maritime traffic, before extending to ports in the Eastern region.

He, however, stressed that modernisation must not be restricted to physical infrastructure.

According to him, digital integration, renewable energy, Port Community Systems and the implementation of a Maritime Single Window are equally essential to creating an efficient modern port system.

“Port operation is a communal system. It is a community,” he said, stressing the need for all agencies and stakeholders operating within the port environment to be digitally integrated.

Such integration, he explained, would eliminate operational silos, improve information sharing and reduce delays.

Adegbite also identified infrastructure deficiencies at several ports, including the Rivers and Warri ports, while noting that the Onne Port also required significant infrastructure improvements.

Contributing from the floor, the Managing Director of Le Look Bags, Mrs Chinwe Ezenwa, said infrastructure renewal alone would not resolve the problems confronting Nigerian ports.

She argued that the attitude and mindset of port users, operators and other stakeholders must also change if investments in infrastructure were to produce sustainable results.

Ezenwa called for deliberate sensitisation and reorientation of stakeholders to promote responsible use and protection of public infrastructure.

She said she had witnessed instances of vandalism of government infrastructure, warning that substantial investments in port facilities could be undermined if public assets were not properly protected.

She therefore advocated sustained public enlightenment and a renewed value system among port users and operators.

On the implications of high port charges, Captain Ladi Olubowale of the African Ship Owners Association warned that excessive costs could encourage cargo diversion to ports in neighbouring countries.

He said cargoes diverted from Nigerian ports could eventually find their way into the country through land borders, adding that the additional logistics costs would ultimately be passed on to consumers and could worsen inflationary pressures.

Olubowale also linked excessive port charges to the growth of smuggling, arguing that high costs could undermine efforts to formalise trade and expand the Nigerian economy.

He maintained that achieving Nigeria’s ambition of building a $1 trillion economy by 2030 would require efficient and competitive ports supported by transparent, harmonised and predictable charges.

The stakeholders consequently called for a coordinated port reform strategy combining infrastructure renewal, digitalisation, transparent and harmonised charges, stakeholder sensitisation and improved operational efficiency.

They stressed that Nigeria’s strategic geographical position and extensive maritime resources would not automatically translate into economic gains unless its ports became efficient, competitive and attractive to cargo owners and regional traders.

The panel discussion was one of the major activities at MAMAL 2026, MARAN’s flagship annual maritime lecture, which brought together policymakers, regulators, industry operators, academics, journalists and other stakeholders to examine the challenges and opportunities surrounding the modernisation and competitiveness of Nigerian ports.