Experts commend Tinubu for creation of Marine, Blue Economy Ministry
Lagos, Sept. 2026 (TBL Africa) Some maritime sector experts have commended President Bola Tinubu for creating the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy in August 2023.
The experts spoke in separate interviews on Tuesday in Lagos while assessing the achievements of the Tinubu administration in the maritime sector over the past three years.
They said the creation of the ministry had driven significant transformation across Nigeria’s 853-kilometre coastline and inland waterways.
Dr Bolaji Akinola, Special Adviser to the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, said under the leadership of the pioneer minister, Adegboyega Oyetola, the ministry had positioned the blue economy as an engine of national prosperity.
Akinola said agencies under the ministry generated N1.83 trillion in 2025, representing a 160 per cent increase from N700.79 billion recorded in 2023.
According to him, the increase was driven by digitisation, revenue assurance systems and the blockage of leakages across maritime revenue channels.
He said the Federal Executive Council, in May 2025, approved the first National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy, ending fragmented regulation and boosting investor confidence.
Akinola said the ministry also embarked on the first major port modernisation programme in 50 years, including the rebuilding of quay walls at Apapa, Tin Can, Onne, Rivers, Calabar and Warri ports to accommodate bigger vessels.
“The World Bank and S&P Global ranked Tin Can 10th and Apapa 12th among the top 20 most improved container ports globally, validating the reforms,” he said.
He added that Nigeria reclaimed its International Maritime Organisation Category C Council seat in November 2025 after a 14-year absence, while sustaining zero piracy for four consecutive years.
According to him, the zero-piracy record was achieved through the deployment of Deep Blue Project assets, satellite surveillance and patrols by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), which also helped reduce shipping surcharges.
Akinola said the ministry secured the lifting of the 12-year U.S. Coast Guard Condition of Entry after Nigeria achieved full compliance with the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code.
He said the ministry was partnering with states to advance the development of deep seaports in Ibom, Bakassi, Agge, Ondo, Badagry and Bonny through approvals and public-private partnership (PPP) arrangements.
He also said President Tinubu signed the Nigeria Ports Economic Regulatory Agency Act to enforce standards, monitor tariffs and check exploitative port charges.
Akinola said the ministry was reviving the National Shipping Carrier through a PPP model, while the President had authorised the disbursement of the long-dormant Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund through NIMASA to enable local shipowners to acquire vessels and create jobs.
“Seafarer development recorded 222 trainees trained free of charge, 333 NSDP cadets graduated, with 135 obtaining Certificates of Competency, 266 placed for sea time and 7,059 placed on board vessels, representing a 130 per cent increase,” he said.
Akinola said, through the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), the ministry facilitated the Naira-for-Crude framework for refineries by streamlining berthing and clearance protocols.
He said the ministry distributed 3,500 life jackets across riverine communities, established a committee on boat mishaps and commenced the replacement of wooden boats with fiberglass vessels.
He added that the NPA acquired tugboats, mooring boats, pilot cutters and dredgers to reduce waiting time and improve harbour safety.
“National fish production rose from 1.1 million tonnes to 1.4 million tonnes in 2025, while the ministry revamped the Kirikiri Terminal with cold-chain facilities,” he said.
He added that Nigeria achieved 100 per cent compliance in Turtle Excluder Devices inspections, with 23 shrimp trawlers passing evaluation and securing U.S. export certification.
Akinola said collaboration with the Lagos State Government helped address the two-decade-old Apapa gridlock through an electronic call-up system, holding bays and barging.
Other achievements, he said, included the operationalisation of Inland Dry Ports at Funtua, Moniya, Ijebu-Ode and Jos; commissioning of the Maritime Development Bank after a 16-year deadlock; and improved welfare for maritime workers.
In his remarks, Rev. Nicodemus Odolo, President of the Shippers’ Association, Lagos, also commended Tinubu for establishing the ministry.
Odolo urged the Federal Government to establish a national shipping line and airline to position Nigeria as a maritime hub in West and Central Africa.
He said nationwide port modernisation would transform Nigeria into a true maritime nation while creating jobs for youths.
Odolo also commended the revenue generated by the Nigeria Customs Service over the past three years, describing it as unprecedented.
He expressed optimism that the maritime sector would record further growth in the next four years on the back of the administration’s reforms.
