Nigeria’s maritime sector has entered a decisive phase of renewal following a series of far-reaching interventions by the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr Adegboyega Oyetola, CON.
According to the Minister’s Special Adviser, Dr Bolaji Akinola, the marine and blue economy sector has been decisively unlocked for genuine growth and development under Oyetola’s leadership, with several long-standing jinxes — once thought permanent — successfully broken.
Akinola said the Minister’s actions since assuming office in August 2023, and most notably throughout 2025, have dismantled obstacles that constrained the sector for decades. These reforms, he noted, have restored confidence, improved performance and repositioned the marine and blue economy as a critical pillar of Nigeria’s economic diversification agenda.
Foremost among these achievements, he said, was the resolution of the notorious Apapa gridlock, which for over 20 years paralysed the Lagos port corridor and severely disrupted trade. By early 2024, sustained policy coordination, operational discipline and infrastructure optimisation delivered lasting relief to Apapa and its environs. He said the clearing of the gridlock significantly reduced cargo dwell time, lowered logistics costs, enhanced port efficiency and removed a major disincentive to investment, effectively restoring the Lagos ports as functional gateways for national and regional commerce.
Another long-standing setback, according to the Special Adviser, was Nigeria’s prolonged absence from the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Council. He noted that Nigeria’s return to the IMO Council in 2025, after 14 years outside the global maritime decision-making body, followed a keenly contested election and marked a major restoration of the country’s international maritime standing. Achieved under Minister Oyetola’s focused leadership, the feat strengthened Nigeria’s influence in shaping global maritime regulations, reinforced its leadership role in Africa and reaffirmed international confidence in its maritime governance.
Akinola further disclosed that the Minister secured approval in 2025 for Nigeria’s first comprehensive port upgrade and modernisation in over 50 years, breaking another jinx that left the nation’s ports operating on obsolete infrastructure. This milestone, he said, signals the beginning of a transformative era that will align Nigerian ports with global standards, boost competitiveness, attract larger vessels and position the country as a maritime and logistics hub for West and Central Africa.
In a related landmark development, the Ministry also issued compliance certificates for the Bakassi Deep Sea Port and the Ondo Deep Sea Port to the Governors of Cross River and Ondo States respectively. According to Akinola, the issuance of the certificates represents a critical regulatory breakthrough that clears the way for accelerated investment, construction and eventual operations of the two ports, further expanding Nigeria’s port capacity and strengthening regional trade connectivity.
The Special Adviser also highlighted the establishment of the Regional Maritime Development Bank (RMDB) in 2025 as the resolution of a 16-year stalemate that had stifled access to maritime finance. With the RMDB now in place, he said long-term funding is expected to flow into shipping, port development and maritime services, providing the financial backbone required for sustained sectoral growth and deeper regional integration.
Equally significant, he noted, was the approval granted by the Minister in 2025 for the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to commence the long-awaited disbursement of the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF). He said for over two decades, the CVFF remained idle. Its activation, he said, represents a major turning point for indigenous ship ownership, enabling Nigerian operators to acquire modern vessels, expand capacity and compete more effectively in both coastal and international trade.
Beyond these milestones, Akinola said Minister Oyetola recorded a historic policy breakthrough with the development and approval by the Federal Executive Council in May 2025 of Nigeria’s first-ever National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy. He described the policy as a watershed framework that provides a coherent, long-term roadmap for harnessing the country’s vast marine resources. The policy integrates shipping, ports, fisheries, aquaculture, marine tourism, offshore energy, seabed resources and environmental sustainability into a unified national strategy, eliminating fragmentation, improving inter-agency coordination and providing clarity and certainty for investors. According to him, it lays the institutional and regulatory foundation needed to maximise economic value, create jobs, protect marine ecosystems and ensure inclusive and sustainable growth.
Dr Akinola also pointed to notable gains in maritime security under Minister Oyetola’s leadership, noting that the sustained deployment and effective coordination of assets under the Deep Blue Project have helped maintain zero piracy incidents in Nigerian waters. This achievement, he said, has strengthened Nigeria’s reputation as a safer maritime domain, boosted investor confidence and reinforced the country’s leadership in regional maritime security.
He further revealed that Nigeria recorded an increase of 300,000 metric tonnes in fish production in 2025 — the first such rise in over a decade. He described this as a clear testament to the Minister’s determination to reduce, and ultimately eliminate, the country’s heavy dependence on fish importation, while boosting food security, employment and value creation across the fisheries and aquaculture value chain.
Akinola said the cumulative impact of these achievements is the laying of a solid foundation for the sustainable growth and development of the marine and blue economy sector. While notable milestones have been recorded since August 2023, he stressed that 2025 stands out as a defining year marked by bold reforms and tangible outcomes.
Looking ahead, he assured that the Minister remains firmly committed to supporting indigenous ship owners and pursuing policies that will enable them to thrive and compete on equal footing with foreign operators. He also assured of the Minister’s commitment to boost fish production.
With long-standing constraints now dismantled, Akinola said the sector is poised for accelerated growth as Minister Oyetola builds on the gains already recorded to deliver even greater outcomes in the years ahead.
