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Stakeholders move to transform Nigeria’s maritime industry to sub-regional hub

By Sulaimon Salau
26 September 2021   |   4:28 am
Stakeholders in the shipping sector have stressed the need for Nigeria to fully exploit the inherent opportunities to revive its ‘sleeping’ maritime sector.

Board member, Nigerian International Maritime Summit (NIMS), Greg Ogbeifun (left); Chairperson, NIMS, Mrs Mfon Usoro and Chief Executive Officer, NIMS, Emeka Akabogu, after a media engagement in Lagos.

Stakeholders in the shipping sector have stressed the need for Nigeria to fully exploit the inherent opportunities to revive its ‘sleeping’ maritime sector.
   
Board member, Nigerian International Maritime Summit (NIMS), Greg Ogbeifun, while speaking at a press conference ahead of the maiden NIMS event, stressed the determination of some core stakeholders, who have come together under the aegis of NIMS, to reinvigorate Nigeria for the onerous task of becoming the sub region’s industry super power.
   
Ogbeifun, who is also the Chairman, Starz Group, said the initiative would be flagged off at the NIMS summit during which the best of continental brains would mount the stage to dissect, motivate and expectedly sow the seeds needed to see Nigeria create an enduring cluster for Nigerian maritime services, which presently, does not exist in the country.

   
The summit is billed to hold from October 5 to October 6, 2021, with the objective of creating jobs for youths, ensuring skills development and enhancing the deep blue project.
   
Chairperson, NIMS, Mrs Mfon Usoro, said the upcoming NIMS was strategically focused on a few industry issues that would make Nigeria a maritime superpower and regional maritime hub.
   
She said that the summit was also timely as Nigeria prepare for the International Maritime Organisation’s Governing Council elections, due to take place later this year.
 
Usoro noted that several industry conferences had provided worthy recommendations that were never implemented, so NIMS will seek to learn from the failures or shortcomings of previous engagements in order to positively impact the industry.
 
Emeka Akabogu, Senior Partner, Akabogu and Associates, explained that the summit was geared towards the development of the Nigerian maritime industry.
   
He said that the conference was organised to expose the operators in the maritime industry and for the Nigerian maritime businesses to come together, speak on the challenges and proffer solutions.

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