The maritime industry will play a critical role in Nigeria’s quest to earn foreign exchange to strengthen the naira which continues to depreciate against the US dollar, Adegboyega Oyetola, minister of marine and blue economy, has said.
Speaking in Lagos on Wednesday at the official commissioning of Nigeria’s Seafarers’ Centre rebuilt by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Oyetola said his ministry was determined to improve the country’s balance of trade by promoting export, which is crucial to earning forex and strengthening the value of the naira.
According to him, his ministry was poised to enhance the maritime sector to enable it to add value to the national economy.
He said the overhauling and commissioning of the seafarers’ centre was part of the ministry’s effort to give Nigerian ports a comparative advantage.
“The reconstruction of this facility will scale up Nigeria’s rating in the global maritime community. With increasing global competition, it has become imperative for nations to make a conscious effort to deepen the competitiveness of their ports,” Oyetola said.
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He said that the idea behind the rebuilding of the purpose-built facility, designed to provide vital social, psychological, and emotional support to crewmen and women who drive global trade in and out of Nigeria, was to equip seafarers and all maritime workers with the enabling tools to tackle and overcome work-related challenges.
Oyetola, however, challenged all heads of maritime agencies to be more audacious and innovative in spearheading smart initiatives that will create opportunities and open up new vistas of growth.
He commended the management of the Nigerian Ports Authority for its visionary intervention in transforming the facility, which was in poor condition at the beginning of the year.
On his part, Mohammed Bello-Koko, managing director of the NPA, said an estimated number of 4000 foreign-flagged ships visit Nigerian shores annually, which implies 300 vessels and a minimum of 6,000 seafarers every month.
According to him, it is expedient for the authority to collaborate with global institutions like the Mission To Seafarers to encourage Shore Leave and Crew Change and reap the benefits of coastal tourism.
“Already, we are witnessing improvements in inland traffic to and from our ports. These, coupled with developments in intermodal transportation, as occasioned by our advancing rail system, are bound to encourage and stimulate immense opportunities in the maritime ecosystem,” he said.
Earlier in his address, Adebayo Sarumi, chairman of the Mission To Seafarers, represented by Yetunde Akinluyi, a member of the management team of MTS Lagos, said in addition to rebuilding the centre, there was a need to rebuild the jetty and protect the shoreline.
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