The Consul-General, Royal Danish Consulate, Mrs Jette Bjerrum, says Denmark will strengthen its partnership with Nigeria to boost the maritime sector, making it a preferred destination in Africa.

Bjerrum asserted the 10th edition of the two-day Lagos International Maritime Week (LIMWEEK) on Tuesday.

The theme of LIMWEEK 2025 is: “Our Oceans, Our Seas, Our Obligation -Maximising Africa’s Ocean.”

Bjerrum said that a market like Nigeria could serve as a fertile ground for new technology tailored for a large-scale maritime environment.

She mentioned that Nigeria, with its dynamic youthful population, was poised to becoming one of the most important contributors to global workforce.

She said that Denmark had trained 16 countries including Nigeria Customs managers to strengthen the maritime industry.

The Consul-General said that the Danish approach to education focused on equipping individuals with the skills needed to adapt to the demands of the future.

“From the Danish side, we see increasing maritime activities and with that, Nigeria should focus on improved safety, efficiency, and forming new partnerships.

“Your leadership has been instrumental in forging impactful partnerships and collaborative events like today,

“The impressive coastal line also represents interesting private sector opportunities.

“The private sector initiative from Denmark headed by APM Terminals has already invested 1.2 billion dollars in their port installations in Onne and also the dry port in Kano.

“Also, they have just signed an MoU with Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), where they have committed 60 million dollars to fund the project,” she said.

Bjerrum added that the Minister of Communication, Innovation, and Digital Economy of Nigeria , Mr Bosun Tijani, visited Denmark three weeks ago, to discuss satellite communication in the maritime sector.

She said that there was need to find ways to fund and solve the financial elements of the infrastructure.

She noted Denmark’s position as one of the leading maritime nations in the world, adding about one-fourth of the Danish export originated from the Danish maritime sector.

She said the standardisation of shipping in the 60s and the 70s laid the groundwork for the globalisation of trade and led to the Danish shipping industry formation.

“Denmark became a major player in global shipping with the founding of Mersk and the development of modern container ships.

“With that, a whole ecosystem of industries to support this major sector was developed.

“The latest data from January 2025 indicate that Denmark has maintained a position among the world’s ten largest maritime nations, and we’ve taken over the position from Germany, who is our very dear and close neighbour.