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Tag: International Maritime Organisation

  • Blue Economy policy sustainable, forward-looking plan, says IMO

    Blue Economy policy sustainable, forward-looking plan, says IMO

    The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) yesterday described Nigeria’s Blue Economy Policy as a forward-looking and sustainable plan.

    It commended the country for its remarkable achievements in the maritime sector in recent times.

    IMO Secretary-General, Mr. Arsenio Domínguez, said the maritime plan was a laudable initiative for harnessing marine resources sustainability.

    Domínguez, who arrived Nigeria yesterday on a working visit, made the remarks during a courtesy visit to Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola.

    He commended the remarkable achievements in maritime security, particularly the zero piracy incident, for over three years.

    He said the groundbreaking Deep Blue Project was a model for regional cooperation in the Gulf of Guinea.

    Dominguez said the investment in maritime safety infrastructure and the collaboration of security agencies, especially the Nigerian Navy, had yielded tangible results in combating piracy and maritime crimes.

    He added that these efforts demonstrated Nigeria’s leadership and commitment to ensuring safer seas, not just for its own waters, but also for the wider West and Central African regions.

    The Secretary-General also acknowledged Nigeria’s recent submission to the organisation outlining its national and regional security initiatives, stressing the need for continued support in infrastructure development and acquisition of modern equipment.

    Read Also: Nigeria secures AfDB commitment for agric expansion as SAPZ rolls out to 24 states

    He assured that the IMO would remain committed to providing technical assistance through awareness campaigns, training programmes and capacity-building initiatives.

    Dominguez expressed admiration for the facilities at the Maritime Academy of Nigeria in Oron, especially the training infrastructure.

    He urged greater collaboration among the academy, the Ministry of Education and industry stakeholders to guide young Nigerians in pursuing maritime careers.

    Oyetola said the IMO chief’s visit reflected the strength of Nigeria’s relationship with the global maritime body.

    He noted that the partnership with the Navy and other stakeholders was pivotal in suppressing piracy in the Gulf of Guinea. Oyetola reaffirmed the country’s determination to consolidate recent gains and expand opportunities in the marine and blue economy.

    He commended Domínguez for choosing Nigeria for the visit and expressed optimism that the discussions would further strengthen bilateral cooperation.

    During the visit, presentations were made by top government officials and key stakeholders in the sector.

    The Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dayo Mobereola, highlighted ongoing reforms and initiatives in security, seafarer welfare and regulatory frameworks aimed at positioning Nigeria as a leading maritime nation.

    The Acting Rector of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, Dr. Kevin Okonna, showcased the academy’s modern training facilities and underscored the importance of international partnerships in cadet exchange and simulator-based training.

    The Managing Director of the Lekki Free Trade Zone, Mr. Wang Qiang, outlined the port’s role in boosting Nigeria’s cargo handling capacity, creating jobs and attracting long-term foreign investments.

    Domínguez also interacted with cadets of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, urging them to embrace emerging opportunities in the maritime sector, particularly in renewable energy, green shipping and maritime technology.

    He reaffirmed IMO’s commitment to working closely with Nigeria to strengthen maritime safety, enhance governance structures, and drive the sustainable growth of the blue economy,

    The Secretary- General said the country’s achievements served as a model of excellence for Africa and beyond.

    In highlighting the organisation’s ongoing projects, Domínguez referenced a regional conference scheduled for Ghana in January next year on the Safe Seas Project, designed to consolidate contributions from Nigeria and other partner states.

    He also announced ongoing discussions with the European Union aimed at launching a new maritime governance project focused on ports and security, as well as two regional projects in Southern and Western Africa where progress would be tracked through defined indicators.

    Apart from security, Domínguez emphasised the need for countries to prepare for wider global challenges including the energy transition, the adoption of biofuels, and financing mechanisms, to support the training of seafarers, infrastructure development and the adoption of future fuels.

  • Switzerland endorses Nigeria’s bid for IMO council seat

    Switzerland endorses Nigeria’s bid for IMO council seat

    Nigeria’s campaign for a seat on the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Council received a major boost on Thursday as Switzerland formally endorsed the country’s bid for the Category ‘C’ seat for the 2026/2027 biennium.

    Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, received the letter of support during a courtesy visit by Switzerland’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Patrick Felix Egloff, in Abuja. The IMO Council elections are scheduled for October/November 2025.

    Describing the endorsement as a “significant step forward,” Oyetola said Switzerland’s support reflects Nigeria’s growing reputation and influence in global maritime affairs.

    He said, “I am happy for this show of support from the Swiss government. It is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the Federal Government to upholding international standards. Nigeria’s election will contribute to a more robust and sustainable global maritime industry.”

    The minister emphasised the country’s vast maritime potential, noting that the nation boasts 200 nautical miles of Exclusive Economic Zone, extended by another 16,300 kilometres to the continental shelf. 

    “With such endowment, Nigeria, by any standard, is supposed to be a maritime nation,” he said.

    Read Also: Family seeks justice for Nigerian killed in Switzerland

    Oyetola highlighted that the government, in collaboration with the World Bank, the African Union’s Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), the Kingdom of Norway and other partners, has developed a National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy designed to “stand the test of time.”

    He further disclosed that the Federal Government is adopting a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model to fast-track development in the sector, with the government retaining only a token equity. Areas of focus include inland waterways investments such as supply of boats, dredging activities and navigation infrastructure.

    On safety and security, the Oyetola pointed to the success of the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure, also known as the Deep Blue Project. 

    He said, “The Deep Blue project, which is a surveillance structure, has assisted us in keeping our waters very safe. There’s been no piracy for the past three years, and we’re trying to sustain that. We try again to ensure that we extend the safety to even the Gulf of Guinea as part of our collaboration with other countries.”

    Earlier, Ambassador Egloff confirmed that Switzerland’s support followed a formal request from the Ministry in April 2025.

    “I’m very glad to convey this letter of support; Switzerland is very happy to support you; you’re a very strong candidate. We support your candidacy, your commitment to multilateralism overall, and in particular in this field you bring. You’re a very important country,” Egloff said.

    With the Swiss endorsement, Nigeria’s candidacy has gained additional international momentum as the IMO elections draw closer.

    The Minister, Marine and Adegboyega Oyetola CON, (r) receives from the Swiss Ambassador to Nigeria, H.E. Patrick Felix Egloff (l) a letter from the Swiss Government pledging its support for Nigeria’s bid for the Category ‘C’ seat on the Council of the International Maritime Organization for the 2026/2027 Biennium elections.

  • IMO to empower more women

    With “Empowering Women in the maritime community” as the theme for 2019, World Maritime Day, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), is working to expand female participation in the industry. To this end, IMO has unveiled a new logo to boost the move.

    “IMO has a strong commitment to helping achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and continues to support the participation of women in both shore-based and seagoing posts, in line with the goals outlined under SDG 5: “Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls,” Kitack Lim, IMO Secretary-General, said.

    “This theme will give IMO the opportunity to work with various maritime stakeholders towards achieving the SDGs, particularly SDG 5, to foster an environment in which women are identified and selected for career development opportunities in maritime administrations, ports and maritime training institutes and to encourage more conversation for gender equality in the maritime space,” Lim continued.

    He noted that in 1988, few maritime training institutes opened their doors to female students. However, the United Nations (UN) specialised agencies forged a global programme known as the Integration of Women in the Maritime Sector. This initiative helped to put in place an institutional framework to incorporate a gender dimension into IMO’s policies and procedures, with resolutions adopted to ensure access to maritime training and employment opportunities for women in the maritime sector.

    “Today, IMO’s newly renamed, Women in Maritime programme is going strong. Empowering women fuels thriving economies across the world, spurs growth and development, and benefits all of us working in the global maritime community as we strive towards safe, secure, clean and sustainable shipping,” Lim further said.

    Female graduates of the World Maritime University (WMU) and the International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI), Lim said, are today working as maritime administrators and decision makers, with a positive impact as role models in encouraging new female recruits. He said the empowerment of women has been supported through gender-specific fellowships by facilitating access to high-level technical training for women in the maritime sector in developing countries.

    The selection of the theme: “Empowering Women in the Maritime Community” will ensure a renewed focus on the IMO women in the maritime programme, and on achieving the goals of SDG 5, throughout 2019, the UN agency said.

  • Cleaner shipping fuel regulation presents opportunities for Middle East ports

    Nineteen months. That is how long the world’s oil and shipping markets have left to adjust to the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) ruling to reduce the sulphur cap from 3.5 per cent to 0.5 per cent at the start of 2020. The change will be immense for the shipping, refining and trading industry but could also present opportunities for Middle East ports who have invested in cutting-edge infrastructure.

    The new legislation will force ship owners to switch to using cleaner, more expensive alternatives to High Sulphur Fuel Oil (HSFO). They also have the option of installing scrubbers to continue using HSFO, but the high up-front capital cost of fitting the technology has deterred many in the shipping industry.

    The echo of surprise that has reverberated around the market in the Middle East and beyond since the ruling was announced in October 2016 – a 2025 start date was on the cards – has finally fallen silent. There is widespread acceptance that there will be no last-minute grace period. Stakeholders along the value chain – from refiners, traders, ports to shipowners – are now united in their efforts to make compliance an affordable reality in less than two years.

    Adjusting to the most disruptive event ever to hit the shipping, refining and trading industry will be a tall order and carries a hefty price tag, especially for beleaguered industries, such as shipping. S&P Global Platts Analytics forecasts the impact of these changes will increase the cost of bunker fuels and onshore fuels including diesel and jet. It will also uplift crude prices by at least $7 a barrel in 2020 in our conservative estimate – approximately a 10% gain on current prices. But the higher costs for consumers will be a boon for refiners and some others in the industry with a total shift of roughly $1tn over five years.

    The sweeping change will be evident from mid-2019 and will be disruptive and even chaotic at times in 2020, though most of the price changes will subsequently ease and be largely gone by 2025, according to a S&P Global Platts Analytics research note to clients. The net effect will be to temporarily increase most light product prices and freight costs in a shift of magnitude and breadth that the market has not yet fully grasped.

    Earlier in May, investment bank Goldman Sachs was reportedly planning to help ship owners finance the installation of scrubbers on board their vessels to allow them to continue burning high sulphur fuel oil after sulphur limits are tightened in 2020.

    What many see as a dark cloud of uncertainty could have a silver lining for some, including the UAE’s Port of Fujairah and the wider Middle East. The port is the world’s second largest bunkering hub – Singapore has the top spot – and sits at the heart of the world’s maritime, refining and oil producing crossroads, between east and west.

    Speedy steps to comply by 2020 could deepen Fujairah’s global reputation as a world-class and world-relevant port. Showcasing an ability to flex to shifting market dynamics is pertinent as competition to capture market share along the coveted east-west trade route intensifies. Oman’s Port of Duqm and Pakistan’s Gwadar port are both widening their influence, for example. In readiness, Dubai-based Earth Wealth Energy plans to build a 360,000 cubic meters of fuel oil storage and treatment facility at the Port of Fujairah. This includes 12-15 storage tanks and a facility to treat up to 12,000 bpd of fuel oil to reduce the sulphur content. The blending and fuel quality checks required for LSFO means more storage and onshore testing facilities are part of the port to manage the rise in volumes post-2020.

    Fujairah has already declared its support for IMO 2020, which is in line with energy stakeholders’ expectations. Regional port owners should take the lead when it comes to preparing a post-2020 roadmap, 56% of respondents said in a GIQ Industry Survey in April.

  • NIMASA to end dumping of vessels, ship wreckage on waters

    To ensure that the territorial waters are safe and secure, they must be cleared of abandoned vessels and ship wrecks, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA)  Director-General Dakuku Peterside has said. He warned local and international ship owners to stop abandoning their vessels or dumping wrecked ships into the waters or face sanctions.

    Apart from forfeiting such vessels to the agency, those involved in the illegal act, would be prosecuted, he said.

    Peterside, who spoke with The Nation, said it was necessary to ensure that the territorial waters remained safe for navigation.

    “In line with our mandate on the protection of the marine environment and safety of navigation within Nigerian waters and our powers as the receiver of wrecks, owners of all abandoned ships, vessels and derelicts are sternly warned to stop dumping them on our waters because we have put the necessary measures in place to locate them wherever they are and prosecute them,” he said.

    The NIMASA boss listed the sanctions to include the removal of such wrecks at the owners’ expense as well as forfeiting the vessels. The agency, he said, was empowered to do so by the Merchant Shipping Act 2007, other enabling Acts and the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) instruments.

    Nigeria is a party to the Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks  (Nairobi Convention 2007).

    The Convention is an IMO treaty  with the purpose of prompt and effective removal of Shipwrecks located in the parties’ territorial waters, including its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) that may be hazardous to navigation or the environment.

    The convention gives the authority to remove wrecks and in Nigeria’s case NIMASA is the receiver of wrecks.

    All abandoned Vessels littering the country’s waterways and its shoreline are affected by this directive.

    An environmentalist, Prince David Omaghomi, also called for the enforcement of laws against dumping of wrecked ships on the Nigerian coastline.

    Omaghomi, an Executive Director, Eco Restoration Foundation, an non-governmental organisation (NGO), which promotes the protection, restoration and conservation of coastal wetlands in Nigeria, said Nigeria had become a dumping ground for wrecked ships because people found it convenient to sink ships from other parts of the world on Nigerian coastal waters to avoid bearing the cost.

    He said ship wrecks had caused problems, which impacted negatively on the environment, hence the need to improve the Navy’s capacity on protection of the coastlines.

    “We have to save our coasts by implementation of policies, legislation and providing the Nigerian Navy with enough coastal awareness to enforce Nigeria’s territorial integrity, even from environmental hazards like ship wrecks.

    “Some people take insurance from insurance companies abroad, they dump the ships on the coasts of Nigeria because they are supposed to spend money on decommissioning the ship.

    “When a ship has served its life time, you are supposed to take it to a dockyard and dismember it, recycle the metals, but they avoid such expenses, make money from insurance and they dump it in Nigeria where nobody cares,” he said.

    According to him, there are over 3,000 ship wrecks littering the nation’s coastline, and that Nigeria is being ridiculed as the world shipwreck graveyard.

    “Nigeria has no legislation or enforcement of existing legislations that help people to remove ship wrecks. So, people find Nigeria a favourable ground to dump their ships, which are no longer in use.

    “There are particular winds on the Atlantic Ocean, which also push abandoned ships to the Bight of Benin, which is the area on the Atlantic coast that Nigerian shorelines fall within,” he said.

    Omaghomi said the money approved for some concerned government agencies in annual budgets for the removal of shipwrecks are usually not utilised for the purpose.

    He said the Eco Restoration Foundation single-handedly removed a ship wreck causing obstruction at the Lekki Beach, Lagos, in 2016 as part of its efforts to save the environment.

    He also called for protection of the Mangrove Ecosystem as natural means of preserving, protecting and conserving the nation’s coastal lines and the environment.

    “The laws need to be amended, the Oil Spill Detection Response Agencies need to be empowered to be able to enforce investigations and fund them.

    “In other cases, we have absence of laws, we have various laws that do not create the necessary environmental remedia-tion or restoration processes.

    “The laws need to be amended, fines need to be punitive, hefty and they need to deter operators from destroying the environment,” he said.

  • Maritime experts pass vote of confidence on MAN rector

    Maritime experts pass vote of confidence on MAN rector

    A team of maritime experts from the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) have expressed confidence in competence and performance of the Rector of Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, stressing that he has proved his worth and mettle within the shortest possible time.

    The experts gave this commendation during a fact finding, inspection and assessment mission to ascertain the state of facilities at the Academy recently.

    Accompanied by officials of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, the IMO/NIMASA Team inspected classrooms, hostels, Simulator machines and other training facilities at the Academy under the guidance of the Rector, Commodore Effedua Duja (rtd).

    The combined team gave the Effedua-led management team at MAN the nod to continue what they have started and urged the Rector to remain focused on IMO’s guidelines/Regulations on Maritime Education and Trainings.

    The IMO members reminded the Rector the importance of being on the White List and what is required to continue to be on the list and the significance of the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watch-keeping, STCW.

    The Rector reiterated his commitment to the restructuring and repositioning plans of the federal government for the Academy in order to make it a world class maritime training institution.

    Addressing recent development in the Academy, Effedua stated that contrary to speculations by some un-informed individuals who run to publish anything they hear without bothering to verify and clarify the veracity of information given to them by persons in pursuit of their personal interests, the Interim Management Committee, IMC and newly appointed members of the Governing Council have nothing to argue or quarrel about.

    In his words “The IMC and the Council are Nigerians appointed by the Federal Government for the purpose of ensuring that the Academy rises from the lock down of the past and become a world class training institution. The Council is yet to be inaugurated, are some persons saying work at the Academy should stop until the Governing Council is inaugurated by government.

    “I can assure you that some persons do not even know who members of the IMC are not to talk of the governing Council, if they do, they will be more careful in their utterances. Are these by any standard idle, hungry men? They are very busy persons who are sacrificing their time and resources in service to the country in many ways apart from being in the IMC or governing Council.”

  • Nigeria committed to maritime safety standards – Amaechi

    Nigeria committed to maritime safety standards – Amaechi

    The Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, has said that the nation is committed to safety standards in the maritime sector.

    This is contained in a statement made available to newsmen on Wednesday in Lagos by the Head, Public Relations Department of NIMASA, Hajia Lami Tumaka.

    According to the statement, the minister stated this in his address at the ongoing Regional Training on Port State Control (PSC) in Lagos for West and Central African countries.

    Amaechi said that merchant ships often traded outside the areas that were under the jurisdiction of the Flag State.

    The minister said the maritime agencies could not, therefore, guarantee that all ships under their flag were in full compliance with safety requirements.

    Amaechi noted that the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) mandated maritime administrations to periodically carry out Port State Control in compliance with the instruments to which the Flag State was a party.

    He said that the high level of maritime activities in the nation’s waters imposed enormous challenges on coastal countries in the West and Central Africa in terms of building a robust and effective maritime safety regime.

    According to him, the need to therefore continually update the knowledge of vessel inspectors and surveyors cannot be overstated, especially against the backdrop of rapid changes at both the industry and operating environment levels.

    Amaechi said the Federal Government was committed toward repositioning the maritime sector for effectiveness and efficiency.

    He assured member states of Nigeria’s co-operation for a better Port State Control implementation.

    In his address, the Acting Director-General of NIMASA, Mr Haruna Jauro, said the agency would ensure effective implementation of Port State Control.
    Jauro said that NIMASA was also committed to human capacity development, adding that the ongoing training was geared toward the development of the sector and the nation at large.

    “The Agency (NIMASA) will continue to build the required capacity to meet domestic and international obligations aimed at making our waterways safe for shipping activities,’’ the acting director-general said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NIMASA Act empowers it to carry out Port State Inspection of foreign vessels that call at the nation’s ports.

    The eight-day training being hosted by NIMASA has in attendance representatives from the 19 member states of the Abuja MoU on Port State Control with resource persons drawn from the IMO.