Oyetola restates Nigeria’s commitment to waterways safety

The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has restated Nigeria’s commitment to preventing accidents and promoting safety on the nation’s waterways.

He stated this when he played host to the Maritime Organisation of West and Central Africa (MOWCA), Secretary General, Dr Paul Adalikwu, in Abuja, where he commended the initiative of a MOWCA workshop for prevention of waterways accidents slated for Libreville, Gabon later in the year. He expressed interest in having similar programmes brought to Nigeria to promote waterways safety.

The minister also hailed MOWCA’s leadership and the Regional Maritime Development Bank (RMDB), being promoted by the organisation, even as he identified the bank as an important catalyst for maritime development to finance platforms and infrastructures for economic growth.

The minister, who urged all MOWCA member countries to contribute their quotas in ensuring that the maritime bank is adequately financed, stressed that Nigeria would be transparent in the nomination of qualified persons to fill the allotted positions to the country, including the post of President and Managing Director of the bank.

While commending Adalikwu for properly organising the MOWCA secretariat and promoting good corporate governance, Oyetola advised that due diligence be observed before the take-off of the bank to avoid mistakes from inception.

Speaking, Adalikwu, who was on his first visit to the minister since the creation of the Marine and Blue Economy ministry, said Nigeria’s stake in regional maritime issues is expanding.

He said the bank’s charter provided that a minimum of eight countries should endorse the Charter, stating that nine countries have so far signed up for the bank, thereby, creating the grounds for seamless takeoff.

According to him, 51 per cent of the bank shares are reserved for member countries while 49 per cent of equity would be owned by private sector stakeholders in the project.

He informed the minister that MOWCA under his watch has become more accountable and transparent in running its affairs with detailed yearly reports made available for the Council of Ministers and member countries.

The MOWCA chief informed the minister that the Board of Regional Maritime University in Ghana has approved that Nigeria be invited into the board of the university.

While the visit expressed assurances of cooperation, Adalikwu presented a detailed yearly report showing the organisation’s activities in 2022 and the 2023 report currently being printed would be ready in April.