Adegboyega Oyetola, the minister of marine and blue economy, has reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s indigenous shipping industry. This was noted in a statement on Tuesday.

The minister gave the assurance on Tuesday when he received a delegation from the Nigeria Maritime Exhibition and Conference planning committee in his office in Abuja. The team visited the minister to seek the Ministry’s support for NIMAREX 2025, scheduled to take place in Lagos from November 17 to 19.

Mr Oyetola said that there was no going back on efforts to reposition local operators for global competitiveness. The minister commended the committee for reviving the once-dormant NIMAREX platform, saying that the government viewed the event as a crucial avenue for collaboration.

He added that the government also viewed the event as necessary for investment promotion and knowledge exchange within the maritime sector.

Mr Oyetola assured the team that President Bola Tinubu’s administration was taking decisive steps to create a conducive operating environment for indigenous shipowners. He stressed that steps were being taken to address longstanding structural challenges and unlock the full potential of Nigeria’s maritime domain.

“Our commitment to indigenous shipping is total and irreversible. The federal government is working round the clock to put in place the right policies, funding mechanisms, and infrastructure that will enable Nigerian shipowners to compete favourably, not just locally but on the international stage.

“There is no going back on this commitment. We are determined to see Nigerian-owned vessels flying our national flag and operating sustainably within our coastal waters and beyond. This will create jobs, retain value within our economy, and build a stronger maritime nation anchored on local capacity,” the minister said.

(NAN)