Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has directed heads of agencies under the ministry to fully commit to implementing the National Policy on Blue and Marine Economy.

He tasked the agency heads to fully internalise and translate the strategic thrust of the policy into well-prioritised programmes, institutional coherence, and measurable outcomes that align with national expectations, and reflect the aspirations of Nigerians.

The minister, during the opening of a two-day sectoral retreat for senior officials of the ministry and its agencies yesterday in Abuja, also signed performance bond with the Director-Generals of Nigerian Ports Authority, Nigeria Waterways Authority, (NIWA), Nigeria Shippers’ Council (NSC), Nigerian Maritime Administrative Safety Agency (NIMASA) another other heads.

According to him, the signing of the performance bond reflects practical, measurable commitments, saying each agency is to define and pursue realistic targets in areas, including increasing the Marine and Blue Economy’s contribution to the nation’s GDP within a defined timeframe.

Oyetola also highlighted Nigeria’s ongoing bid for a Category C seat on the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Council, describing it as a strategic national objective.In his opening remarks, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Olufemi Oloruntola, echoed the minister’s call for decisive action.

MEANWHILE, the NSC has saved the country over N31 billion between January and June 2024 through automation of demurrage, freight rate and charter party verification.

Its Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer, Pius Akutah, disclosed this yesterday at the ongoing sectoral retreat. He called for critical policy and funding reforms while also showcasing the council’s achievements.

Akutah listed the feats to include, launch of online registration portals for port users and service providers, development of the Trade and Transport Data Bank, now nearing completion, commissioning of the Funtua Inland Dry Port and top-ranking performance in the 2024 ICPC Ethics and Integrity Scorecard. He emphasised the need for swift passage of the Nigerian Port Regulatory Agency Bill, and consistent access to statutory funding.