The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has directed heads of agencies under the ministry to fully commit to implementing the National Policy on Blue and Marine Economy.

He tasked the agency heads to fully internalize and translate the strategic thrust of the Policy into well-prioritised programmes, institutional coherence, and measurable outcomes that align with national expectations and reflect the aspirations of Nigerians.

The Minister during the opening of a 2-day Sectoral Retreat for senior officials of the Ministry and its agencies in Abuja, also signed performance bond with the Director General of Nigeria Ports Authority, Nigeria Waterways Authority, (NIWA), Nigeria Shippers Council (NSC) Nigeria Maritime Administrative Safety Agency (NIMASA) another other agency heads.

According to him, the signing of the performance bond reflects practical, measurable commitments, saying the agencies are expected to define and pursue realistic targets in areas and increase the marine and Blue economy’s contribution to Nigeria’s GDP.

He also tasked them on creating new jobs across core sub-sectors over the next 12–24 months; enhancing throughput across our ports and terminals; and improving the compliance environment and boosting revenue from maritime activities.

He stated that the goals will be tracked and reviewed. He urged the agency heads to institutionalise monitoring mechanisms to assess progress quarterly, and reporting structures must be strengthened for transparency and accountability.

Oyetola also highlighted Nigeria’s ongoing bid for a Category C seat on the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council, describing it as a strategic national objective.

He stressed that the ministry would continue to lead on diplomatic engagement and international outreach, but that every agency must play its part in showcasing Nigeria’s readiness to continue to lead and contribute meaningfully to global maritime affairs.

In his opening remarks at the retreat, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr. Olufemi Oloruntola, echoed the Minister’s call for decisive action.

Oloruntola described the retreat as a critical platform for identifying and resolving the barriers to effective execution, strengthening inter-agency synergy, and defining the specific steps needed to position the Marine and Blue Economy as a major driver of national development in alignment with global trends.

The Permanent Secretary noted that the signing of a performance bond reflects the Ministry’s commitment to accountability, results, and service excellence.