Kitack Lim, the secretary-general of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) is expected to make his first visit to Nigeria to attend the Nigeria International Maritime Summit (NIMS) slated for November.
Lim’s visit will be the first by an IMO Secretary-General to Nigeria in more than 20 years and is facilitated by the Federal Ministry of Transportation in collaboration with the Governing Board of NIMS.
According to a joint statement signed by Magdalene Ajani, permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, and Mfon Ekong Usoro, chairperson of the governing board of NIMS, Mu’azu Jaji Sambo, the minister of transportation, has been confirmed as the chief host, while the keynote address will be delivered by the IMO boss.
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The summit themed, ‘Igniting the Blue Economy,’ will feature government-to-government, government-to-business, and business-to-business exchanges towards increasing investment and efficiency in the Nigerian maritime sector.
“We are pleased to have this rare opportunity to host the world’s top global maritime diplomat in Nigeria and to showcase the significant milestones achieved by this administration in the maritime industry,” the statement said.
It further added that the visit of the IMO Secretary-General reflects the importance attached to Nigeria’s role in the Gulf of Guinea and recent strides in confronting the challenge of maritime security and cleaner oceans.
It will also open opportunities for Nigeria in ongoing and emerging multilateral engagements.
During the visit, Lim is expected to engage in high-level consultations with government and private sector stakeholders with a special focus on the Blue Economy.
