Minister of Marine and Blue Economy Adegboyega Oyetola has reaffirmed the federal government's unwavering commitment to strengthening Nigeria's indigenous shipping industry, declaring that efforts to reposition local operators for global competitiveness will not be abandoned.
Oyetola gave the assurance on Tuesday when he received a delegation from the Nigeria Maritime Exhibition and Conference (NIMAREX) planning committee in his office in Abuja.
The delegation, led by Sola Adewunmi, chairman of the committee and president of the Nigerian Shipowners Association (NISA), also included Funmi Folorunso, the committee's secretary, and Tounbo Ogunwale, director of government relations.
The team visited the minister to seek the ministry's support for NIMAREX 2025, which is scheduled for Lagos from November 17th to 19th, 2025.
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Oyetola commended the committee for reviving the once-dormant NIMAREX platform and said the government views the event as a crucial avenue for collaboration, investment promotion, and knowledge exchange within the maritime sector.
He assured that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration was taking decisive steps to create a conducive operating environment for indigenous shipowners, address longstanding structural challenges, and unlock the full potential of Nigeria's maritime domain.
He said, "Our commitment to indigenous shipping is total and irreversible. The federal government is working around the clock to implement the right policies, funding mechanisms, and infrastructure that will enable Nigerian shipowners to compete favourably locally and internationally. 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," the Minister added.
"This will create jobs, retain value within our economy, and build a stronger maritime nation anchored on local capacity."
Adewunmi said NIMAREX was revived after several years of inactivity to complement the government's renewed push to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) into the maritime and blue economy sectors.
He explained that the upcoming edition would serve as a unifying platform for public and private stakeholders to discuss strategies for sustainable growth.
