National Policy Draft On MBE To Be Presented To FEC Soon’ Oyetola

BY EGUONO ODJEGBA

After an extensive and far reaching engagements with stakeholders for their inputs , the draft copy of the National Policy for the Marine and Blue Economy is soon to be presented to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for consideration and approval.

HE Oyetola making his presentation at the interactive session

His Excellency, the Honourable Minister of Marine &Blue Economy (MBE), Adegboyega Oyetola CON, who disclosed above Thursday in Lagos during an interactive session with journalists under the auspices of the League of Maritime Editors (LOME), noted that the approval of the policy document will open up the sector for exponential growth.

A group photo of the Minister, his key mgmt team, heads of the ministry agencies and President of LOME, Itie

The Minister explained that since the deepening of capacity growth is the  cardinal reason this government established a dedicated marine and blue economy ministry, the expected results  he said will unlock the sector’s vast potential which he noted will ultimately translate into becoming a key driver of national prosperity in line with Africa’s Agenda 2063.

While applauding the establishment of the new ministry by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a critical initiative aimed at catapulting the developments of all related and interconnected natural resources, Oyetola said only a focused and clearly defined roadmap will guarantee the expected gains, hence the need for  a meticulous planning of the policy document.

“Let me begin by recognizing the visionary leadership of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR in creating a dedicated Ministry for the Marine and Blue Economy. This strategic initiative, which is an offshoot of the Renewed Hope Agenda, reflects his determination to unlock the vast potential of our marine resources, expand opportunities beyond land-based development and establish this sector as a key driver of national prosperity in line with Africa’s Agenda 2063. The vision is for the Ministry to ensure that the country’s marine resources are harnessed sustainably to position Nigeria as a premier maritime nation.

“Over the past year, the Ministry has taken deliberate steps to strengthen the regulatory, legal, institutional and policy frameworks for the management and development of the sector. The National Policy on the Marine and Blue Economy, which we have diligently crafted, has taken note of the need to leverage technology and private sector initiatives to boost the sector. I am pleased to note that the draft Policy is soon to be presented to the Federal Executive Council for approval”, he said.

Giving a breakdown of the industry’s sub components, Oyetola said that under his watch, the ministry and its parastatls have been working at full throttle to see about the optimal productivity of the system in an efficient and sustainable scale.

He said, “As you are aware, our country is blessed with a coastline of 853 kilometers bordering the Atlantic Ocean in the Gulf of Guinea with significant and diverse marine resources. We have an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of over 300,000 square kilometers and inland waterways resources estimated at 10,000kms, capable of supporting a vibrant intra-regional trade.

“The potentials of this sector to contribute to the country’s GDP is huge. The blue economy comprises activities such as maritime shipping; ship building and repairs, ports infrastructure and services; coastal tourism; fishing and aquaculture; blue/renewable energy; seabed mining; underwater cabling; marine biotechnology (pharmaceuticals and chemicals); water desalination.

“At this juncture, let me state that this ministry, though new, carries out its mandate through various agencies and parastatals, some of which are as old as the country. The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) for instance was established in 1954” adding:

“Together, the ministry and its agencies work as a team to deliver on the lofty mandates given and have recorded significant achievements. I make bold to affirm that the Ministry is spearheading an ambitious reform agenda, for all the agencies under its purview.”

On an-agency-by-agencies basis, the forward looking minister said that he will ensure that each sub units or agencies of the ministry develops within their specific mandates and in line with their individual potentials to positively impact and grow the national economy.

While also speaking on new tools designed to enhance the ports operational efficiencies which has been in the front burner for awhile, the minister explained that the deployment of the Nation Single Window (NSW) and the Port Community System (PCS) remains part of the ministry’s capacity development priority concerns, expected to run with the proposed policy document the ministry will be submitting to FEC for consideration.

Shedding light on the similarity and coefficient application of the NSW and PCS together with its peculiar problems, Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho said whereas it is immaterial under whose purview the NSW is domiciled, he explained that what is important is the efficiencies all the ports operational systems are tailored to achieve.

“First of all, I want to appreciate the Honorable Minister for the excellent presentation today, particularly to the mention of the important modernization which he said would include the eastern ports. Now, before I proceed with the issue of the port community system, I want to also say that it is important for Nigeria to modernize our ports because that is the only way we’re going to have a lot more cargo to Nigeria. If not, the bigger ships will be working in Lome and Cotonou and Ghana, and therefore we will see smaller vessels in Nigeria.

“If we are receiving vessels that are only carrying 4,000, 3,000 containers, then we are not going to be part of either the fourth generation ports or the fifth generation ports.

“Now, the port community system is also like the telephone. We have fourth generation, we have fifth generation, but that is a talk for another day. On the issue of the port community system, I want to say in summary that it is something that is necessary for Nigeria to do, and we are working to achieve that. But like the person that mentioned about it, the challenges around the port community system are in summary, four.  Number one and the most important challenge is government support because it requires that all the agencies of government, including private sector companies, must collaborate. So now that government support is what we are receiving today through our excellency, the minister..because without that, we cannot make progress. So that’s number one challenge which I think we have already surmounted because we have been 100%. We are working with him every day and every night to achieve that. So government support is there now. That’s challenge number one.

“Number two is technology. So in the same manner that you can choose to use maybe the portable or you can choose to use the telephone, you can use the iPhone or you can use the Samsung, the idea of technology is also very important in achieving the port community system. So now, which technology do you take? Do you take the ocean technology? Do you take the service technology? Do you take the policy technology? And where do you get the money to fund it? So that’s number two challenge.

“So even that one, I think we are already reaching to the end of it because for those of you who were at the seminar about three days ago, I sent you a little video. And we will see that in three days time, we will have that video.

President of LOME, Mrs. Remilekun Itie in her welcome address highlighted some of the challenges confronting the industry and urged the Minister of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy to deploy his agape leadership credential and passion for the industry to fix the problems, even as she acknoleged the minister’s focus and immeasurable strenght at recaliberating the port economy for optimal productivity.

She said, “It is the view of the League that as a maritime nation, the prolonged lack of a National Carrier, remains a major disservice affecting the industry’s growth potential. Based on our years of experience as a neutral judge of the industry, the League Is of the view that our country has a weak Port Security and a defective, hlghly politicized Shipping Capacity Development with poor systems. This should be

addressed.

“Also we have an immediate drawback in the unending  regime of WAIVERS granted industry players after 22 years of the implementation of the Cabotage Act. Similarly, The League also holds the view that successive politicking at the national level is the sole reason for the non disbursement of the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund. The League is equally of the view that the National Seafarers Development Programme,NSDP, scheme which was designed as a stop-gap intervention and which has since become a regime is politically motivated and should be scrapped.

“Closely linked to the NSDP are the successive poor performances of Nigerian Cadets in the COC Examination and its concomitant negative impact on their resultant un-employability in the international labour market. Incidental to the above two last mentioned issues, is the absence of Cadets Training Ship and Cadets’ inability to conclude their training and certification for lack of available ships to do their mandatory Sea Time for their course completion schedule”, adding:

“Knowledge and Skill gaps, plus faulty recruitment process has been a major challenge in the Ministry that the Hon Minister should also address.”