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  • NIMASA champions innovative financing

    NIMASA champions innovative financing

    Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Dayo Mobereola, has called for innovative financing mechanisms as a transformative tool to drive sustainable development in Africa’s maritime industry.

    Speaking at the 7th Association of African Maritime Administrations (AAMA) conference in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Mobereola underscored Nigeria’s commitment to fostering regional collaboration and technological advancements to strengthen the sector. 

    “Nigeria is committed to collaborating on technology and innovation to enhance safety, security, decarbonisation, and the marine environment for a sustainable future,” Mobereola declared during his keynote address. 

    Highlighting the importance of the conference as a platform to address shared challenges, he pointed to sustainable energy, regional security, and economic growth as key focus areas. 

    Mobereola urged African nations and international partners to rally around innovative financing models to address the sector’s infrastructure and digital transformation needs. 

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    “As Nigeria pursues infrastructure development and digital transformation within our maritime sector, we call on our regional and international partners to support these efforts through technical and financial backing,” Mobereola said.

    He also stressed the need for collaborative approaches to maritime security, particularly in combating piracy and other crimes in West African waters.

    “By reinforcing our adherence to frameworks like the Djibouti and Yaoundé Codes of Conduct, we aim to solidify Nigeria’s role in combating piracy and maritime crime across West Africa,” Mobereola said.

    The AAMA conference, a significant gathering of African maritime leaders, aims to promote regular consultation and the development of joint positions on issues critical to the industry. Nigeria has been a longstanding advocate for regional cooperation, having hosted the 3rd AAMA conference in 2017, where a master plan to advance the African Maritime Transport Charter was crafted. 

    Mobereola highlighted the importance of sustaining this momentum adding, “The AAMA remains a key driver in harmonising policies and goals essential for the growth of the African maritime sector. This collective effort is critical as we navigate challenges and opportunities in a rapidly evolving global maritime landscape.”

  • NIMASA DG champions innovative financing for Africa’s maritime sector

    NIMASA DG champions innovative financing for Africa’s maritime sector

    The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Dayo Mobereola, has called for innovative financing mechanisms as a transformative tool to drive sustainable development in Africa’s maritime industry. 

    Speaking at the 7th Association of African Maritime Administrations (AAMA) conference in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Dr Mobereola underscored Nigeria’s commitment to fostering regional collaboration and technological advancements to strengthen the sector.  

    “Nigeria is committed to collaborating on technology and innovation to enhance safety, security, decarbonisation, and the marine environment for a sustainable future,” Mobereola declared during his keynote address.  

    Highlighting the importance of the conference as a platform to address shared challenges, he pointed to sustainable energy, regional security, and economic growth as key focus areas.  

    Dr Mobereola urged African nations and international partners to rally around innovative financing models to address the sector’s infrastructure and digital transformation needs.  

    “As Nigeria pursues infrastructure development and digital transformation within our maritime sector, we call on our regional and international partners to support these efforts through technical and financial backing,” he emphasised.  

    He also stressed the need for collaborative approaches to maritime security, particularly in combating piracy and other crimes in West African waters. 

    “By reinforcing our adherence to frameworks like the Djibouti and Yaoundé Codes of Conduct, we aim to solidify Nigeria’s role in combating piracy and maritime crime across West Africa,” Mobereola added.  

    Read Also: Group hails NIMASA chief

    The AAMA conference, a significant gathering of African maritime leaders, aims to promote regular consultation and the development of joint positions on issues critical to the industry. 

    Nigeria has been a longstanding advocate for regional cooperation, having hosted the 3rd AAMA conference in 2017, where a master plan to advance the African Maritime Transport Charter was crafted.  

    Mobereola highlighted the importance of sustaining this momentum adding, “The AAMA remains a key driver in harmonising policies and goals essential for the growth of the African maritime sector. This collective effort is critical as we navigate challenges and opportunities in a rapidly evolving global maritime landscape.”

  • $360m cabotage cash intact, says NIMASA

    $360m cabotage cash intact, says NIMASA

    The Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA),

    Dr Dayo Mobereola, yesterday, assured stakeholders in the maritime industry that the over $360million Cabotage Vessels Finance Fund (CVFF) is intact and would soon be disbursed to qualified indigenous shipowners to boost the economy.

    Moberrola gave the assurance based on what the agency called an unfounded allegation that the accrued Cabotage funds had been tampered with by some unknown government officials.

     “Funds accrued under the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF) are intact and currently held with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under the Single Treasury Account (TSA). This is contrary to a misleading publication alleging that the funds have disappeared from the CVFF account,” NIMASA said in a statement, adding that the report of missing funds, “is both misleading and false.

    “For the record, the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund, securely held in the NIMASA account at the CBN remains intact. There has been no disappearance of funds, and no illegal transactions, as the article suggests.

    This misinformation is a figment of the authors’ imagination; aimed at undermining NIMASA’s integrity, and mislead the public about the Agency’s operations.

    The management of NIMASA, the statement said “will ensure that the CVFF is utilised in line with its statutory purpose.

    Read Also: NIMASA chief, scholars, others for awards at Osun monarch’s festival

    “Let us be clear that the CVFF account at the CBN is safe, intact, and secure. We at NIMASA will continue to manage it with the utmost responsibility, and there are no irregularities or illegal activities surrounding the funds. I urge the public to disregard this false narrative and to continue trusting the Agency’s ability to uphold the integrity of Nigeria’s maritime sector,” the statement read.

    The CVFF is a fund established under section 42 of the Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage) Act 2003 to promote the development of indigenous ship acquisition capacity and to provide credit facilities to local maritime operators.

    NIMASA said it “is committed to transparency, accountability, and the advancement of Nigeria’s maritime sector”.

  • Over $360m Cabotage fund intact – NIMASA

    Over $360m Cabotage fund intact – NIMASA

    The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dayo Mobereola, assured maritime industry stakeholders that the agency would facilitate the swift disbursement of the Cabotage Vessels Finance Fund (CVFF) to qualified Indigenous ship owners, aiming to boost the economy.

    The money, The Nation learnt, is over $360 million in the kitty of NIMASA.

    Moberrola gave the assurance based on what the agency called an unfounded allegation that the accrued Cabotage funds had been tampered with by some unknown government officials.

    This was contained in a statement signed by the NIMASA’s  Head of Public Relations, Osagie Edward, that the “funds accrued under the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF) are intact and currently held with the Central Bank of Nigeria under the Single Treasury Account (TSA).

    This is contrary to a misleading publication alleging that the funds have disappeared from the CVFF account.”

    According to NIMASA, such reports were both misleading and false.

    Read Also: NIMASA chief, scholars, others for awards at Osun monarch’s festival

    “For the record, the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund, securely held in the NIMASA account at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), remains intact. There has been no disappearance of funds, and no illegal transactions, as the article suggests. This misinformation is a figment of the author’s imagination, aimed at undermining NIMASA’s integrity and misleading the public about the Agency’s operations.

    The Management of NIMASA, the image maker said: “Will ensure that the CVFF is utilised in line with its statutory purpose.

    “Let us be clear that the CVFF account at the Central Bank of Nigeria is safe, intact, and secure. We at NIMASA will continue to manage it with the utmost responsibility, and there are no irregularities or illegal activities surrounding the funds. I urge the public to disregard this false narrative and to continue trusting the Agency’s ability to uphold the integrity of Nigeria’s maritime sector.”

    The CVFF is a fund established under section 42 of the Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage) Act 2003 to promote the development of indigenous ship acquisition capacity and to provide credit facilities to local maritime operators.

    NIMASA, the agency said: “is committed to transparency, accountability, and the advancement of Nigeria’s maritime sector.”

  • NIMASA refutes withdrawing 296 Seafarers from centurion varsity

    NIMASA refutes withdrawing 296 Seafarers from centurion varsity

    The Director General,  Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Dayo Mobereola, has debunked a report that the agency had mulled withdrawal of 296 seafarers under the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP), from the Centurion University in India.

    In a press statement by the agency’s head of Public Relations, Osagie Edward, he restated the Agency’s commitment to the program.

    According to him, the 296 NSDP beneficiaries at Centurion University, India will be given adequate capacity development to acquire quality training and qualify as Seafarers employable globally.

    He, however, described media reports claiming that the Agency plans to withdraw the NSDP cadets from the University as fake and false, adding that the Agency is only carrying out due diligence on the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to align the processes in the best interest of the concerned Nigerian students.

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    According to the DG, the agency is working seriously to close all identified gaps in the existing MOU before proceeding to the next stage.

    “We are not recalling any NSDP beneficiary from Centurion University. We are only working to close out all identified gaps in the existing Memorandum of Understanding before proceeding to the next stage.

    “A situation where the Agency entered into a contractual agreement with Springdale Academy of Maritime Education and Training (SAMET) with agreed courses and timelines only to be faced with additional course duration and an alien programme by the agent. SAMET, unilaterally converting the programme without the consent of the Agency as prescribed by the MoU may not be in the best interest of the students,” he stated.

    Speaking further, he added that, “there were issues of non-accreditation of one of institution as at the time of the execution of MoU, change of course from Marine engineering to Mechanical engineering without recourse to the Agency, preparing the grounds for additional years of studies and uncertainties for the students, raising issues related to funding, and the various third parties arrangements without duly informing the Agency.”

    The NIMASA DG also noted that the agency is aware of a sponsored media campaign of calumny against its Management, stating that it will not deter NIMASA from doing the right thing.

    “We are aware of orchestrated media campaigns and petitions against the agency reviewing the existing arrangement.  We will not give in to blackmail as the safety and wellbeing of our students are paramount.”

    Recall that the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme was introduced in 2009 to develop capacity by training young Nigerians as seafarers and bridge the gap of dearth of seafarers globally.

    Nigerian youths are trained in specialised courses such as Marine Engineering, Nautical Sciences and Nautical Surveys amongst others, to ensure they qualify as Seafarers and are employable across the globe.

  • NIMASA hires debt collectors

    NIMASA hires debt collectors

    The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has engaged the service of two leading debt recovery companies to assist the agency in the collection of the debts owed by some shipping companies and other operators in the maritime industry.

    The affected shipping companies, it was learnt, have failed to remit the statutory three per cent levies, two per cent cabotage surcharge, as well as offshore waste and sea protection levies to the Federal Government

    The engagement of the two leading debt recovery companies was disclosed in Lagos, yesterday, by its Director-General, Dr Dayo Mobereola at the Interactive Session organised by the agency for maritime reporters in the country.

    Although the Director-General did not disclose the names of the two engaged companies, he however, acknowledged that the agency has embarked on a debt recovery measure aimed at collecting all the money belonging to NIMASA from its debtors.

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    “When we came on board, we were told that the shipping companies are owing us so much and we have to start collection. As we speak today, we have engaged two companies to look into it and collect this debt for NIMASA and for the benefit of the nation,” the DG said.

    The shipping firms, it was learnt, have accumulated substantial debts to the Federal Government through NIMASA, hence the current debt recovery steps taken by the agency.

    The Director-General also disclosed that the agency is working tirelessly to assist the indigenous ship owners to acquire vessels that will fly Nigerian flag through meticulous disbursement of the Sabotage Vessels Finance Fund (CVFF), to provide jobs and boost the nation’s economy.

    He added that the agency is also priotising the full automation of the Nigerian ship registry for proper revenue generation.

    The DG, however, said the war risk premium imposed on ships coming into the country persists based on the influence of a cartel within the intern national insurance companies.

    Although he did not disclose the identities of members of the cartel, Mobereola said despite significant improvements in maritime security, the premium continues to add to the cost of cargoes coming to the country.

    He stressed that the development underlines the need for a coordinated international effort and the need for Nigeria to collaborate with global maritime organisations to tackle the entrenched interest that sustains the war risk premium on cargos coming to the country.

    “In all honesty, Nigeria alone cannot do it. We need the international maritime organizations to be with us,” he stated, pointing out that the war risk premium is not determined by the actual risk level but by a cartel profiting from the status quo.

    “Despite Nigeria’s concerted efforts to curb piracy and enhance maritime security, the war risk premium has not seen a corresponding decrease.

     “Even if we have zero piracy and no security incidents for the next ten years, if we don’t force the issue, they will continue to charge us,” he said.

     Mobereola lamented that these premiums, which significantly elevate freight costs for imports and exports, are being artificially sustained by insurers who are well aware of the improved security situation but prefer to maintain the high charges to maximise profits.

    To resolve the problem, he said the agency has initiated discussions with key international partners, including taking the matter to the United Nations for proper attention.

    “We’ve engaged them, and we’re taking it to the United Nations. The UN is going to support us, and we will be able to take it to the insurers who will have no choice but to reduce it as well,” he said.

    The DG stated that with the backing of the UN and other international stakeholders, the country would be in a stronger position to challenge the insurers, forcing them to adjust the premiums in line with the actual risk.

  • Court orders final forfeiture of $16.5m and N127m diverted from NIMASA

    Court orders final forfeiture of $16.5m and N127m diverted from NIMASA

    Justice Kehinde Ogundare of the Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the final forfeiture of $16.5 million and N127 million fraudulently diverted from the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to the Federal Government.

    Justice Ogundare gave the judgment yesterday while granting an application for such orders filed and moved by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) lawyer, Sulaiman I. Sulaiman.

    The monies, according to the EFCC, were proceeds of unlawful activities.

    Justice Ogundare, on May 23, ordered the interim forfeiture of the monies, while granting an Exparte motion brought before the court pursuant to Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14. 2006; and Section 44 (2)(B) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

    The court, after forfeiting the monies in the interim on May 23, directed the EFCC to publish the order in a national newspaper, to show cause why the monies should not be finally forfeited.

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    At the resumed hearing yesterday, Suleiman told the court that pursuant publication of the order was made on June 6.

    “The said application is supported by 22 paragraphs deposed to by Oghare Ogbole, an investigator with the EFCC. The application is accompanied with two exhibits, the Interim order of the court and Punch publication of June 26, 2024, and it is also supported with a written address.

    “We most respectively adopt same and urge the court to grant the relief sought.”

    Justice Ogundare, after listening to the EFCC lawyer, held that ‘order granted as prayed’.

  • Reps committee threatens to arrest NIMASA DG

    Reps committee threatens to arrest NIMASA DG

    The House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions has threatened to order the arrest of the Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Safety and Administration Agency (NIMASA), Dayo Mobereola, if he fails to appear before the Committee on  Wednesday, July 17.

    The committee is investigating a petition against the agency by Abade-Toru Manga Community Development Initiative. 

    In the petition addressed to the Speaker of the House, the petitioners alleged that NIMASA failed to establish educational and skills acquisition projects in the coastal communities as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

    Read Also: NIMASA moves to replace foreign seafarers

    They said NIMASA had made commitment in line with the recommendations at the Global Maritime Security Conference 2019 to introduce educational, entrepreneurship training, and skills acquisition programmes in the areas of fishing, clearing and forwarding, and legal bunkering, for people in the coastal communities. 

    They alleged that rather than living up to this commitment, the former Director General of the agency, Dr. Bashir Jamoh decided to build a Maritime Skill Acquisition Centre and Twin Lecture Theatre in Kaduna State, where he hails from.

    As part of its investigations, the committee summoned the current DG, Dr. Dayo Mobereola to appear in person, to explain why NIMASA failed to replicate the skills acquisition centers in the five States where it operates (Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Bayelsa, Delta, and Rivers).

    Chairman of the committee, Hon. Mike Etaba, said If the DG fail to appear, the Committee will direct the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to arrest and bring him before the committee.

    He said the committee is exercising its investigative powers under Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), adding that governance is a continuum, and whatever Dr. Jamoh omitted to do for the coastal communities during his tenure can be done by Dr. Dayo Mobereola, who is now the Director-General of NIMASA.

  • NIMASA moves to replace foreign seafarers

    NIMASA moves to replace foreign seafarers

    • Oyetola commits to enhanced local capacity

    The Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dayp Mobereola has vowed  to use indigenous seafarers to replace foreign seafarers operating within the nation’s territorial waters.

    According to the NIMASA boss, one of the ways to achieve the objective;  is the   introduction of the New Cabotage Compliance Strategy on Manning by the agency.

    NIMASA, he said, would develop the capacity of  indigenous seafarers and tackle their challenges.

    By doing that, he said the agency would put an end to the  unpatriotic attitude of some ship owners who preferred to employ foreign crew and pay them higher wages than their Nigerian counterparts.

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    Seafarers, the NIMASA boss emphasized, are vital to the maritime industry, because  of  their training, which is long and rigorous as well as enables them to master navigation, cargo work and shipping.

     He said   any mistake made by them  could lead  to loss of lives and property worth billions of naira

    Speaking  during the celebration of the 2024 Day of the Seafarers in Lagos,

    Mobereola acknowledged the challenges facing seafarers which , he listed to include :  war zones and  piracy threat, exposure to health risks, absence of basic rights, such as insurance and compensation.

    His words:  “  Seafarers are the backbone of global trade. They brave challenging conditions, ensuring over 80 per cent of the world’s trade reaches its destination. However, we recognise the humongous challenges seafarers face, including war zones, pirates, and exposure to health risks. We also acknowledge that some basic rights, such as proper insurance and compensation, are not always guaranteed. This is a call to action for all stakeholders government, ship owners, and NIMASA to address these issues and prioritize seafarer welfare.

    “ The  agency’s human capacity building initiatives have resulted in the training and retraining of Nigerian Seafarers to acquire the required skills in line with industry needs. We have prioritized the training programmes/courses to enable seafarers to acquire the relevant advanced certificates that will enhance their employment opportunities.

    “In the area of employment of seafarers, the agency through the introduction of the New Cabotage Compliance Strategy on Manning has ensured that all foreign seafarer ratings and some category of officers onboard cabotage vessels are immediately replaced with qualified Nigerian Seafarers.

    “There are opportunities for Nigerian trained seafarers in the cabotage regime, the Liquefied Natural Gas and Brass LNG Projects, expansion of the NLNG trains, and the Olokola Gas Project to mention but a few.

    “We therefore need to do more to showcase the importance of seafaring and also attract our youths including females to consider a career in seafaring. Mindful that we should aim at well-trained and educated officers capable of ensuring safe operation of vessels. Nigeria has the young population to compete with other countries whose Seafarers contribute immensely to their Gross Domestic Product (GDP).”

    He spoke of plans by the agency to invest  in the  capacity-building programmes  to enhance seafarers’ skills, welfare, and employment opportunities.

    He said the third phase of the Nigerian Seafarers’ Development programme  aims to graduate 435 officers.

    He said : “ Many trainees are currently undergoing mandatory sea-time training on board ocean-going vessels. The challenge lies in securing placements for these qualified seafarers, but we are working to resolve this issue.

    “The agency is exploring avenues to create jobs for our seafarers, including collaborating with government agencies like the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).

    “Soon, certain positions such as ratings and officer of the watch will be designated as “no longer available” for foreign seafarers to occupy. However, some other positions may be considered based on merit for foreigners to occupy.

    “ The  agency is working tirelessly to strengthen its legal framework by domesticating all Maritime Labour related ILO Conventions ratified by Nigeria. These conventions include the Maritime Labour Conventions (MLC) 2006 as amended, the Seafarers Identity Document (SID) Convention as amended, and the Dock Work Convention.”

    In a keynote address,  the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola who was represented by the agency’s Director of Safety and Security, Babatunde Bombata promised to organise more training for seafarers and monitor  their development.

  • NIMASA in Blue Economy: Promoting Nigeria’s bilateral relations

    NIMASA in Blue Economy: Promoting Nigeria’s bilateral relations

    • By Jimoh Olorede

    Some deliberate initiatives taken by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, upon his election and assumption of office in May 2023, did not only show the President was innovative, decisive and proactive, but also showed he came prepared and ready for a serious business of governance. One of the products of Tinubu’s innovative ingenuity is the creation of the novel Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, which has been applauded by many national and international stakeholders.

    This new Ministry, for a reason of its great economic potentials, is now a cynosure and centre of economic attraction to many countries of the world. The creation of the new ministry out of the preexisting Ministry of Transportation, seemed to have broadened and widened our economic perspectives and horizons in relation to increasing Nigeria’s economic growth through the sustainable use and maximization of its maritime vast resources, as against merely generating revenues from marine transport.

    Recently, the newly appointed Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dayo Mobereola, received, in Lagos, the Spanish Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Juan Ignacio Sell, on an inspection of two additional Bulletproof Security Boats from Spain, purposely built for NIMASA by Aresa, a Spanish company. Sell, as reported by the press, said: “We got the message with the creation of Maritime and Blue Economy Ministry by the Federal Government of Nigeria, and knowing there’re lots of things to harness from the sea, we also want to be partners in that process”, adding Spanish government has pledged to support Nigeria through NIMASA on maritime security. Similarly, earlier in November 2023, the Spanish Navy was also in the country for collaboration in personnel training and ship building in a bid to curbing maritime crimes.

    The viability, uniqueness, and resource-potentials of the then-old-but-now-new agencies (at least, now being under a new ministry) like NIMASA, the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA), and the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSP) among others, which hitherto were under the Ministry of Transportation, are now being appreciated for their revenue generation potentials, economic contributions to the growth of the nation and socio-utility, especially as causative of the administrative experience and fiscal expertise of the Minister, Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola, who is now steadily turning an eyesore of the inherited agencies as evident in the dilapidated infrastructure of the nation’s ports and others, into a cynosure of economic attraction to some countries of the world.

    President Tinubu’s commendable innovative initiatives would not only boost economic stamina of the Africa’s most populous country, ensure security in maritime sector, but also simultaneously increase and strengthen Nigeria’s bilateral ties with other countries. For instance, the President in March 2024 received the Special Envoy of the President of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, in Abuja, according to a Release by The State House, during which he reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to enhancing maritime security and safety in the Gulf of Guinea.

    Read Also: Tinubu appoints Mobereola as DG NIMASA

    The Gulf of Guinea is central to maritime activities because is a great inlet of the Atlantic Ocean on the western African coast whose tributaries are the Volta and Niger rivers with offshore oil deposits and metal ore deposits as its natural resources (Britannica), and via which about 80 per cent of the trade with Nigeria goes.   

    Also in February this year, the Nigerian Navy led by the Chief of Training and Operations, Rear Admiral Zakariyyah Muhammed met with the U.S. Navy in Naples, Italy, hosted by the Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa, Admiral Stuart Munsch, with a view to improving regional cooperation, information-sharing practices, and maritime interdiction expertise aimed at countering sea-based illicit activities.

    More so, Nigerian and Indian Navies, in October 2023, strengthened bilateral ties between the two countries to ensure maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea aiming at maintaining its sea lanes as a conduit of international trade. The visit led by Indian Defence attache° to Nigeria, Col. Romi Singh Legha was said to have recorded positive results on collaborative trainings against piracy and other maritime criminalities in the region.

    Suffice to add was the arrival in Nigeria of the Chinese team and vessels earlier in July 2023, with the Chinese Ambassador to the country, Mr. Chi Jian Chun saying the visit, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), “was to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries and enhance maritime security within West Africa.” The above narrative shows the rate at which President Tinubu’s ingenious brainchild-ministry is attracting partnership-attention, engendering Memoranda of Understanding (MoU), and promoting bilateral relations with other nations.

    • Dr. Olorede, Head, Department of Strategic Communication and Media Studies at The Federal Polytechnic Offa, Kwara State, writes via oloredejimoh@gmail.com/08111841887.