In 2025, the country’s maritime business environment underwent a major reset as a result of regulatory reforms, improved security, labour stability, and renewed global engagement.
These factors significantly reduced operational risk and restored international confidence in the country’s shipping and blue economy prospects.
This, the Head, Public Relations at the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Osagie Edward, underscored in a statement.
According to him, under the leadership of the NIMASA Director-General, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, the agency earned commendations from the Presidency, maritime institutions, labour unions, and a broad spectrum of industry stakeholders.
He said throughout the year under review, the agency, operating under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, sustained a reform-driven agenda focused on maritime safety and security, capacity development, regulatory efficiency, labour harmony, and international engagement.
These deliberate efforts, Edward said, culminated in one of Nigeria’s most significant maritime milestones in recent history — the country’s successful return to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Council after a 14-year absence.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu formally commended the management of NIMASA following Nigeria’s election into Category C of the IMO Council for the 2026–2027 biennium, describing the achievement as a strong affirmation of Nigeria’s growing influence in global maritime governance.
“In a State House press release, the President noted that the election reflects the confidence of the international community in Nigeria’s commitment to maritime safety, security, environmental stewardship, and rules-based operations.”
He specifically applauded the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, NIMASA, and Nigeria’s diplomatic team for their professionalism, strategic engagement, and tireless efforts throughout the election process,” he said.
“President Tinubu further emphasised that Nigeria’s return to the IMO Council aligns seamlessly with his administration’s broader vision to unlock the nation’s vast blue economy potential, strengthen anti-piracy initiatives in the Gulf of Guinea, expand maritime infrastructure, and position Nigeria as a regional shipping and logistics hub,” Edward added.
Nigeria’s election into the IMO Council on Friday, 28 November 2025, during the IMO General Assembly in London, the agency’s spokesman said, stands out as the defining highlight of the year. The victory, he said, led by the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola, marked the country’s triumphant return to the Council after more than a decade.
“Describing the outcome as a landmark endorsement of Nigeria’s maritime reforms, Oyetola credited over twelve months of intensive diplomatic shuttles, sustained advocacy, and coordinated stakeholder engagement involving NIMASA and other national institutions. He noted that Nigeria’s improved maritime security architecture and reforms in the Gulf of Guinea played a decisive role in restoring global confidence.
“With this development, Nigeria has been restored to a strategic global platform where it can meaningfully contribute to shaping international shipping policies, maritime safety standards, and sustainable ocean governance,” the statement read.
Another major highlight of the year, as indicated by Edward, was NIMASA’s successful hosting of the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organisation, Mr. Arsenio Dominguez, the world’s leading maritime official. The historic visit, he said, underscored Nigeria’s renewed relevance within the global maritime community.
According to him, Oyetola personally led the engagement, providing strategic leadership and hosting the IMO Secretary-General, while NIMASA, as Nigeria’s nodal agency to the IMO, coordinated technical sessions and stakeholder interactions. The visit, he noted, further reinforced international confidence in Nigeria’s maritime reforms and institutional capacity.
Working in synergy with national and international security architecture, NIMASA, Edward said, successfully sustained zero piracy incidents in Nigerian waters during the year under review. “The Agency’s Deep Blue Project proved instrumental in this achievement. Port and Flag State during the period under review have been effective and surpassed the globally acceptable standards,” he said.
The statement highlighted the visit of the IMO Secretary-General who witnessed a live demonstration by the Deep Blue security team and reportedly stated that other maritime nations have much to learn from Nigeria’s maritime security framework.
It also underlined the area of human capacity development, noting that Mobereola and his management team demonstrated uncommon commitment to maritime education. “The issue of seatime for beneficiaries of the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme NSDP is enjoying deserved attention as the backlog is being cleared,” it said.
Edward described as historic the Director-General of NIMASA’s personal attendance at the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron graduation ceremony, noting that he is the first serving chief executive of the Agency to do so.
“Speaking at the event, the Rector of MAN, Dr. Okonna, commended the NIMASA management for its sustained support for maritime education and seafarer development, noting that the Agency’s interventions have continued to strengthen the training pipeline for Nigerian seafarers and improve the quality of maritime manpower available to the industry,” he said.
NIMASA’s performance in 2025, the statement said, also attracted strong commendation from maritime labour unions, particularly the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN). The union’s President-General, Comrade Francis Bunu, it said, praised the agency for its constructive engagement with maritime labour, improved regulatory oversight, and commitment to policies that promote workers’ welfare, industry stability, and indigenous participation.
“Comrade Bunu recently commended Dr. Mobereola for facilitating the successful unionisation and signing of a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between MWUN and some shipping companies operating in Nigeria. The agreement established clear working conditions for union members and was widely seen as a milestone in promoting industrial harmony.
“The MWUN President-General described Dr. Mobereola as “one DG ever produced by NIMASA who is thorough, proactive, disciplined, and deeply knowledgeable in maritime administration,” noting that these qualities were instrumental in achieving the agreement,” it said.
Beyond the CBA, the statement said MWUN commended NIMASA for its role in curbing piracy in Nigerian waters and the Gulf of Guinea, noting that the improvements have enhanced maritime safety and strengthened investor confidence. It added that the union pledged full support for Nigeria’s engagement at the IMO Council and participated in initiatives to improve seafarers’ welfare, including the introduction of a reviewed minimum wage framework.
It said that, regarding the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund, NIMASA’s management, under the supervision of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has resolved a major bottleneck that had hindered the disbursement of the fund, raising strong expectations for progress in 2026.
It said that within the agency, management achieved notable gains in staff welfare and motivation through promotions, structured training programmes, and targeted capacity-building initiatives aimed at strengthening professionalism, career progression, and institutional efficiency, measures that in turn improved morale and enhanced NIMASA’s ability to discharge its statutory responsibilities.
The statement reaffirmed NIMASA’s 2025 performance under Mobereola’s stewardship. delivered renewed credibility, stronger stakeholder partnerships, and quantifiable progress for Nigeria’s maritime industry. It added that the agency’s alignment with the Federal Government’s blue economy agenda and its growing international recognition position it strongly for even greater impact in the years ahead.
“With sustained reforms, robust stakeholder collaboration, and proactive global engagement, NIMASA enters 2026 well-positioned to consolidate gains and further advance Nigeria’s standing as a leading maritime nation,” it said.
In a New Year message to stakeholders, Mobereola, expressed sincere appreciation for the cooperation, partnership, and steadfast support received throughout the past year. He emphasised that stakeholders’ contributions were crucial to the progress recorded across Nigeria’s maritime sector and expressed optimism for even stronger collaboration in the year ahead.
According to him, “2025 was a momentous year for the nation’s maritime industry, marked by significant achievements and renewed international confidence.
“As we look forward to 2026, it is our firm resolve to consolidate on these gains and deliver even greater outcomes for the sector and the nation at large.”
Mobereola expressed confidence in the strength of collective effort, stating, “I am confident that through our joint efforts, we will achieve this.” He concluded by wishing stakeholders and their families a peaceful, productive, and rewarding 2026.
