Headlines

Blue Economy: Nigeria can earn $53bn, 20m jobs annually—- CISN

…calls for synergy between training institutions and govt.

The Eyewitness reporter

The natural ocean resources that Nigeria is blessed with is capable of lifting it out of the woods into prosperity if properly harnessed, the Proprietor/Chief Executive Officer, the Certified Institute of Shipping Nigeria (CISN), Prof. Alexander Favour Okwuashi, has said.

Speaking at the 23rd convocation ceremony of the institute, Prof. Okwuashi stated that the Blue Economy, which is the totality of maritime resources, is capable of generating a whopping $53 billion annually for Nigeria and 20 million jobs for the teeming Nigerian youths.

Expounding on the benefits of the Blue Economy, the CISN founder said it is capable of creating opportunities of

up to 200 million jobs for the entire African Region.

The CISN 23rd Convocation investiture and award ceremony was held at the Princess Vicky Haastrup Multipurpose Auditorium, CISN main campus, Badagry Expressway, Lagos.

The theme of the event is “TRAINING AND RETRAINING OF MARITIME TRANSPORT WORKFORCE TO HARNESS THE GAINS OF THE BLUE SEA AND RELATED ECONOMY.”

Okwuashi averred that the Blue Economy has created big opportunities within the maritime Industry and harped on the need for investments in all areas of the industry.

Highlighting further the gains of the Blue Economy, Okwuashi stated that exploring it in the area of intracity transport will take the stress off the people.

For instance, he said it will take about three to four hours from Badagry to get to Apapa by road but if the waterway is used, it can’t take 45 minutes to get to Apapa. “Those of you going to Lagos from Badagry. From Ibiye, from Agbara to Lagos, under one hour you are there. It takes away the stress, there will be no go-slow. You are not going to suffer any kind of stress as a result of getting involved in it. You will enjoy the marine ecosystem,” he explained.

The CEO of CIS also remarked that there is a lot of job opportunities in fishing, wondering why the majority of Nigerians are afraid of the sea.

He said, however, that when people come to CISN, they will be able to conquer the fear of shipping or the fear of sailing, which is an advantage for enrolling in the institute.

Okwuashi lamented that a lot of fish eaten in Nigeria are shipped to the country by the Russians and the Indians.

He declared that there are a lot of fishes between Badagry and Bakassi Penisula but Nigerians pay millions and hundreds of thousands of dollars to foreigners to buy fish.

“Between Badagry and Bakassi Penisula, there are a lot of fishes. If we can do something from Badagry here to Bakassi Penisula we will not be importing fish. We have a lot to gain and I call on people to invest in fishing to harness the benefits of the Blue Economy,” he stated.

He decried the failure of the Nigerian government and Nigerians to discover and harness the benefits of the shipping market, saying that it is painful that Nigeria with her oil does not have a single carrier to lift it.

“Nigeria is an oil-rich nation but until this moment it pains that we don’t have a crude carrier. How can a country that is an oil-rich nation not have a product carrier? The resources that suppose to come back to this nation to build infrastructure are being taken by foreigners because these large crude carriers that come to take the crude away charge $120 per barrel or tonne. If this thing continues, when will you have resources to buy your own tankers, to build or own infrastructure?” he asked rhetorically.

Presenting his paper, the Head of the Department, Marine Engineering and Technology, Mr. Ifeanyi Innocent Okafor, noted that “over the past 10 years, the maritime industry has seen a steady decline in personnel due to myriad factors, including retirement, career changes, and hiring and funding challenges. According to him, as a result, an inordinate amount of institutional knowledge has disappeared from the maritime sector.

“Over time, the knowledge that has been useful gradually loses close ties to practice as it becomes more tightly integrated with a body of scientific knowledge – a process that is known as ‘academic drift,” Okafor stated.

He opined that monitoring academic drift is critical to ensuring the skills of Maritime professionals are aligned with the changing needs of the industry.

He, therefore, said Maritime Education and Training (MET) must evolve to provide training and re-training that is relevant to practice.”

“While components of the Blue Economy may vary from country to country, depending on how it’s ocean fresh water, as well as coastal resource endowments, a Blue Economy is generally understood to consist of, and include fisheries, coastal tourism, marine transport, offshore renewable energy, marine-based blue economy, Marine mineral resources, waste management, climate change of blue biotechnology,” he stated.

The lecturer pointed out that the oceans, the seas and freshwater ecosystems which form the basis of the blue economy are under serious threat.

According to him, “The oceans, seas, and freshwater ecosystems which form the basis of the blue economy are under serious threats from degradation due to human activities including coastal developments pollution, especially from plastic as well as deteriorating fish sticks due to overfishing. Given the potential contribution of the Blue Economy, the sustainable management of oceans, seas, and freshwater ecosystems including them in a healthy and productive state cannot be to.”

For Nigeria to be placed on the world map of the best Blue Economic nations, Okafor called for synergy between training institutions in the maritime sector, especially CISN with Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) and the key private sector players.

Headlines

NIWA partners ICPC to strengthen internal transparency in its operations

Gloria Odion, Maritime Reporter

The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has announced new strategies aimed at improving its operational system and enhancing collaboration with key stakeholders as part of efforts to boost efficiency and accountability.

Speaking at a post event Press Conference at NIWA Headquarters Lokoja, the Acting Managing Director, Umar Yusuf Girei, while answering questions from journalists stated that, the organization convened a two -day Executive and Anti-Corruption training with the theme “Strengthening Integrity and Revenue System in Inland Waterways Management” organized for Board Members, Management and Area Managers and also 2026 NIWA Management Retreat in Abuja.

The Acting MD noted as part of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,with the support Adegboyega Oyetola, Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, the Authority is focused on aligning institutional goals in ensuring better service delivery to Nigerians.

He further said, as part of its anti-corruption drive, the Management held discussions with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to explore measures for strengthening transparency within its operations.

Girei therefore, assured staff that the ongoing reforms under his watch would translate into improved service and better working conditions.

“NIWA remains committed to continuous improvement and stakeholder engagement and the reforms are expected to enhance both internal performance and public confidence”. he stated.

Headlines

Navy appoints new Maritime Guard Commander for NIMASA

Gloria Odion, Maritime Reporter

The Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, has approved the appointment of Commodore Reginald Odeodi Adoki as the Commander of the Maritime Guard Command at the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).

Commodore Adoki takes over from Commodore H.C Oriekeze who has been redeployed.

Commodore Adoki, a principal Warfare Officer specializing in communication and intelligence, brings onboard 25 years experience in the Nigerian Navy covering training, staff and operations.

As a seaman, he has commanded NNS Andoni, NNS Kyanwa and NNS Kada.

It was under his command that NNS Kada under took her maiden voyage, sailing from the country of build (the United Arab Emirates) into Nigeria.

He was commissioned into the Nigerian Navy in 2000 with a BSc in Mathematics.

He has since earned a Masters in International Law and Diplomacy from the University of Lagos and an M.Sc in Terrorism, Security and Policing at University of Leicester, England.

He is currently pursuing a Ph.D in Defence and Security Studies at the National Defence Academy (NDA).

He is a highly decorated officer with several medals for distinguished service.

Welcoming the new MGC Commander to the Agency, the Director General, Dr Dayo Mobereola, expressed confidence in Adoki’s addition to the team, emphasising that it will further strengthen the nation’s maritime security architecture given his vast experience in the industry.

The Maritime Guard Command domiciled in NIMASA was established as part of the resolutions of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nigerian Navy to assist NIMASA strengthen operational efficiency in Nigeria’s territorial waters, especially through enforcement of security, safety and other maritime regulations.

Customs

Customs collects N1.585 trillion from 51 compliant traders under AEO programme

Funso OLOJO, Editor

The Authorized Economic Operator (AEO), one of the trade facilitation tools introduced by the Nigeria Customs Service in 2025, has begun to yield bountiful harvests with the revenue growth of ₦362.79 billion recorded in 2025.

According to the AEO scorecard released by the Service, the facilitation tool grossed the sum of N1.585 trillion after certification, an increase revenue from N1.222 trillion before certification.

This represents the growth of N362.79 billion(29.68 per cent) for 51 AEO – certified entities as at October, 2025.

The Programme, according to the NCS, also contributed 21.77% to its total revenue collection of ₦7.281 trillion in 2025, while customs duties paid rose by 85.66% due to enhanced compliance and increased volumes of legitimate trade.

According to AEO Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Report, the Programme achieved an average compliance rate of 85.45 per cent with the highest at 100 per cent and the lowest at 60 per cent.

“The evaluation applied rigorous methodologies to ensure objectivity, transparency, and alignment with the World Customs Organisation (WCO) SAFE Framework of Standards and the provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023.

“In the area of trade facilitation, AEO participation reduced average cargo clearance time from 168 hours to 41 hours, representing a 75.60% time saving.

“Company operating costs declined by 57.2 per cent while demurrage payments dropped by 90 per cent, limiting capital flight to foreign-owned port service providers and strengthening foreign exchange retention.

” Overall trade efficiency improved by 77.11 per through digitalisation, simplified procedures, and targeted risk management” the Customs declared in the AEO scorecard.

However, the Service singled out with Eight companies for commendation due to their integrity and compliance under the programme.

The companies include Coleman Technical Industries Limited, WACOT Rice Limited, ROMSON Oil Field Services Ltd, WACOT Limited, Chi Farms Ltd, CORMART Nigeria Ltd, PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc, Nigerian Bottling Company Limited and MTN Nigeria Communications Plc.

The Service lauded them for a cumulative voluntary remittance of over a billion naira into the Federation Account following their self-initiated transaction review and disclosure.

“These actions reflect the strengthening of post-clearance audit mechanisms and a growing culture of voluntary compliance within the trading community.

Nevertheless, the Service suspended a firm under the programme for its non- compliance and display of lack of integrity.

The suspended firm engaged in false declaration of consignments contrary to programme obligations.

“Consequently, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, directed the immediate suspension of the company’s AEO status in accordance with the AEO Guidelines, the WCO SAFE Framework of Standards, and Section 112 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023.

The NCS reiterated that the AEO Programme is founded on trust, transparency, and continuous compliance.

“While compliant operators will continue to benefit from expedited clearance and reduced inspection, appropriate sanctions will be applied where violations are established.

“The Service remains resolute in safeguarding national revenue, facilitating legitimate trade, and preserving the integrity and global credibility of Nigeria’s AEO framework” the NCS concluded in the report.