The International Maritime Institute of Nigeria (IMION) has called for the effective implementation of maritime policies and international conventions to strengthen port security, improve operational efficiency and accelerate the country’s blue economy development.
The Director-General of IMION, Rear Admiral Thaddeus Christopher Udofia (rtd), said Nigeria’s maritime sector could achieve greater economic benefits by translating policy frameworks and international agreements into practical actions across ports, shipping operations and inland waterways.
Udofia made the call in a statement issued to commemorate the 2026 World Maritime Day, themed “From Policy to Practice: Powering Maritime Excellence.”
He stressed that maritime policies would deliver meaningful results only when supported by specialised training, operational expertise, effective regulation and modern technology.
“Knowledge without execution is a stranded asset,” he said, adding that maritime excellence depended on improved security, digital optimisation and regulatory discipline across the country’s ports and logistics corridors.
IMION congratulated the Federal Government on Nigeria’s return to Category C membership of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council after a 14-year absence.
The institute also welcomed the reported decision by the United States Coast Guard to lift a 12-year port security restriction, known as a Condition of Entry, on vessels arriving from Nigeria.
According to IMION, the development reflects efforts to improve maritime security and restore international confidence in Nigeria’s shipping industry.
The institute attributed the progress in maritime security partly to the Federal Government’s multi-agency Deep Blue Project, which it said had recorded more than three consecutive years without piracy incidents.
IMION said improved international confidence could help reduce operational challenges for Nigerian shipping and support the competitiveness of the country’s maritime industry.
Established as a research and strategic think-tank initiative of the Nigerian Navy, IMION said it had trained more than 500 maritime stakeholders and senior executives in various areas of the blue economy since its inception.
The institute said its programmes were designed to bridge the gap between maritime policy development and the practical skills required by professionals responsible for implementing those policies.
It also highlighted its collaboration with international maritime institutes, academic partners and strategic organisations to promote global best practices.
One of its domestic initiatives is a partnership with the Admiralty University of Nigeria to develop joint executive programmes aimed at translating maritime research and intelligence into practical solutions.
Among its key initiatives, IMION identified executive training in strategic blue economy leadership, port logistics and trade facilitation, fisheries development, maritime security and global trade.
The institute also highlighted its proposed five-year Port Transformation Plan, which seeks to improve trade corridors, reduce transaction costs and address supply chain bottlenecks.
In the fisheries sector, IMION said it was promoting a five-pillar development plan that includes scientific fish-stock assessments, coastal lagoon cage culture and satellite-based spatial planning to support food security.
The institute further disclosed that it had introduced specialised training for media practitioners covering the blue economy to improve the quality and accuracy of maritime reporting in Nigeria.
It said its professional courses were also being aligned with the latest revisions to the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) Convention to prepare Nigerian seafarers for automation, green shipping technologies and decarbonisation.
IMION reaffirmed its commitment to research, professional training and technical capacity development, stressing that sustained collaboration among government agencies, industry operators and academic institutions was essential to advancing Nigeria’s maritime sector.
The institute called on stakeholders to strengthen institutional cooperation and ensure that maritime policies translated into measurable improvements in port operations, security, trade facilitation and the wider blue economy.
The statement was signed by Bashir Ambi, Ph.D., Head of Communications and Marketing, International Maritime Institute of Nigeria.
