Oyetola inaugurates NIMBEX committee to attract maritime investment

Dr Adegboyega Oyetola, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, has inaugurated an organising committee for the Nigeria Marine and Blue Economy Expo (NIMBEX), targeted at attracting investment into the sector.

A statement by Dr Bolaji Akinola, his Special Adviser, quoted Oyetola as saying that the expo would bring together policy makers, investors, industry leaders and technology innovators to explore opportunities in Nigeria’s marine and blue economy.

The statement issued on Thursday in Lagos said that the initiative aims to position Nigeria as a leading maritime investment destination in Africa.

The minister said that the expo would help translate the country’s maritime resources into investment opportunities, economic growth and create job opportunities.

“Nigeria’s marine and blue economy holds enormous potential to drive economic diversification, attract investment and create sustainable employment,” it added.

Oyetola, who was represented at the inaugural ceremony by the Permanent Secretary, Mrs Fatima Mahmood, said that the expo would facilitate partnerships, mobilise capital and provide the expertise needed to harness the sector’s potential.

He noted that Nigeria’s 853-kilometre coastline and more than 10,000 kilometres of navigable inland waterways across 28 states offered significant opportunities for maritime trade and investment.

The committee is chaired by Mr Husseini Shettima, Director of Marine Conservation, Innovation and Technology in the ministry.

Hajia Kalthum Ibrahim, Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, and Prof. Busayo Fakinlede, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Marine and Blue Economy, are co-chairpersons.

Akinola will serve as a committee member and Chief Operating Officer of the expo.

Other members include representatives of the ministry’s technical departments and agencies – the Nigerian Ports Authority, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), and the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency, National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA).

Other outfits with representatives include Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron and Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research.

Also to nominate representatives are Federal College of Fisheries and Marine Technology and the fisheries research institutes in New Bussa and Baga.

The committee also has representatives from coastal states, terminal operators, shipowners, freight forwarders, barge operators and other maritime stakeholders.

The ministry said that the committee’s broad-based composition would promote coordinated planning and connect investors with viable opportunities across the blue economy.