Maritime Editors Raise Alarm Over Sectoral Weaknesses

… Urge Less Rhetoric, More Deliverables in 2026

BY FUNMI ALUKO

The League of Maritime Editors, a coalition of senior industry journalists, has unveiled its 2026 media agenda for Nigeria’s marine and blue economy, pledging to spotlight progress while exposing systemic weaknesses that continue to undermine the sector’s potential contribution to national GDP growth.

In a statement signed by Publicity Secretary, Mr. Francis Ngwoke, on behalf of President Mrs. Remi Itie and Secretary General Felix Kumuyi, the League acknowledged Nigeria’s notable international achievements in 2025. These include leadership roles at the World Customs Organisation (WCO) and International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH), as well as the country’s successful re-election to the coveted International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Category C seat.

While these milestones elevated Nigeria’s global maritime standing, the League warned that beneath the diplomatic successes lie unresolved structural gaps across key agencies. These deficiencies, it stressed, threaten sustainable development and hinder indigenous participation in the sector. The League expressed disappointment that the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy has failed to demonstrate the necessary political will to disburse the long-awaited Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF), leaving indigenous shipping companies disadvantaged.

It further criticized Nigeria’s continued reliance on the Free on Board (FOB) crude oil trade policy, which excludes local shipowners from freight revenues, resulting in estimated losses of over $2 trillion annually. The group urged a transition to the Cost, Insurance and Freight (CIF) model, calling for stronger leadership capacity to drive the change.

Attention also turned to the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), which the League accused of subsuming the CVFF issue under “unnecessary rhetoric and lamentations.” It described as a “national disgrace” the agency’s modular floating dock, acquired in 2018, which remains idle and continues to incur costs instead of generating revenue.

The League commended the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) for its strides in port modernization and easing the Apapa corridor gridlock. However, it cautioned against the Lagos-centric concentration of cargo vessel calls, urging the Authority to redistribute operations nationwide to expand trade opportunities.

“We acknowledge that the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA)) has made tremendous progress in port modernization efforts and the decongestion of the Apapa port corridor traffic gridlock.

“The League expects more actions to avoid the otherwise Lagos-centric concentration of cargo vessels call and respectfully call on the Authority to sustain the tempo in the proper redistribution of operations to decongest Lagos and expand port trade opportunities, nationwide”, the statement read.

Similarly, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) was praised for revenue re-engineering, anti-smuggling successes, and corporate social responsibility initiatives. Yet, the League noted that stakeholder engagement remains reactive rather than proactive, advising that CSR efforts should be broadened to underserved communities.

Amongst other agencies that came under scrutiny was the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) and its supervisory Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy which was criticized for weak stakeholder consultation in shipping charge approvals and delays in securing presidential assent to its Amendment Bill.

“The Nigerian Shippers’ Council must emphasize economic regulation and tariff transparency. While the Council has maintained regulatory oversight, it recently faced backlash over shipping charge approvals. Future decisions must involve broader stakeholder consultation.

“The delay in presidential assent to the NSC Amendment Bill underscores weak inter-agency coordination; the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy must take the lead to urgently secure the approval and necessary assent.”

On the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), the League faulted its apparent helplessness in the area of recurring boat mishaps under its watch, with calls for stricter enforcement of safety measures and enhanced manpower deployment.

“Recurring boats mishap under its watch highlight weak enforcement of safety measures that focuses on life jacket use and the ban on night sailing. Stronger regulation and manpower deployment are urgently needed to safeguard inland waterway transport.

“The Authority should design enhanced operational safety measures to reduce boat mishaps and casualties, while advancing dredging, monitoring, and compliance”, the group advised.

This is even as the management of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) was tasked with sustaining training quality and global relevance, particularly in cadet skills development.

The League also urged the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarders of Nigeria (CRFFN) to reinvent its relevance, strengthen professional standards, and embrace modern compliance tracking.

The League emphasized that Nigeria’s maritime sector has the capacity to become the cornerstone of national GDP growth, especially as oil and gas continue to lose ground as the nation’s economic driver. It insisted that 2026 must be a year of “strategic turnaround” marked by tangible deliverables, cost efficiencies, and measurable growth margins.

“As stakeholders in the Nigerian project, we demand proper alignment of policies with measurable actions, the efficiencies of which the media must be willing to track in a dependable and sustainable manner,” the statement read.

The League reaffirmed its commitment to constructive, objective, and reliable reportage, pledging to hold agencies accountable while promoting reforms that guarantee stakeholder confidence both locally and internationally.

“We cannot overemphasize the point that the functions and mandates of government agencies in the sector including NPA, Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Nigeria Customs Service, National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), and the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarders of Nigeria (CRFFN), must be supported to become more responsive and accountable.

“The League firmly believes that every government agency in the sector must commit to making 2026 a year of strategic turnaround for higher yields and economic prosperity. It should be a year of productive growth and one of less rhetoric, a year marked by significant results in cost efficiencies, tangible deliverables, and higher growth”, it enthused.