Federal Government Takes IMO Council Campaign To New York, Courts UN Envoys

Nigeria’s run for a spot connected the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council nether Category C has entered a new, high-profile signifier successful New York, arsenic the HlMinister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, formally addressed Permanent Representatives of African nations to the United Nations astatine a reception successful Nigeria House.

Having officially flagged disconnected the run successful London connected 18th June astatine the IMO Headquarters, the New York lawsuit forms portion of a sustained diplomatic engagement to mobilise enactment up of the Council elections scheduled for aboriginal this year.

Delivering a code imbued with maritime imaginativeness and nationalist resolve, Oyetola thanked the UN envoys for attending the reception held up of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, and extended the lukewarm greetings of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR. He emphasised that Nigeria’s candidature was much than an ambition: it is simply a solemn pledge of concern with the planetary community.

Oyetola pointed to Nigeria’s extended maritime endowments, which see 853 kilometres of coastline, implicit 10,000 kilometres of inland waterways, and a ample Exclusive Economic Zone, arsenic good arsenic the country’s strategical determination connected the Gulf of Guinea, a corridor of captious commercialized significance. He besides reiterated Nigeria’s committedness to the IMO’s halfway mandate of safe, secure, environmentally responsible, businesslike and sustainable shipping.

The Minister drew attraction to Nigeria’s way grounds of action, particularly the transformative Deep Blue Project nether the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), which has coordinated air, onshore and oversea assets to heighten maritime security. He highlighted that for 3 consecutive years Nigeria has recorded zero piracy incidents successful its waters, portion piracy successful the broader Gulf of Guinea has dropped sharply – achievements which helium said person restored assurance among planetary shipping stakeholders and affirmed Nigeria’s relation arsenic a guarantor of maritime safety.

He said, “In caller years, we person transformed the maritime information architecture of our region. Through the landmark Deep Blue Project, we person established a multi-layered, integrated maritime information framework, coordinating air, land, and oversea assets nether the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA). The results talk for themselves: for 3 consecutive years, Nigeria has recorded zero piracy incidents connected its waters, portion incidents successful the Gulf of Guinea person drastically reduced, restoring assurance for planetary shipping and underscoring Nigeria’s relation arsenic a guarantor of maritime safety.

“Our ports service arsenic captious gateways for commercialized successful West and Central Africa, portion our shipping manufacture remains 1 of the largest successful sub-Saharan Africa. With a renewed nationalist absorption connected the bluish system and robust organization reforms, Nigeria is repositioning itself arsenic a determination maritime powerhouse and a dependable planetary spouse successful shaping the aboriginal of planetary shipping.”

The Minister underscored Nigeria’s renewed organization reforms and increasing bluish system agenda. He explained that Nigeria has ratified and domesticated cardinal IMO conventions and is actively moving to accede to further instruments addressing greenhouse state emissions, biofouling, and maritime labour rights. Compliance with regulations connected emissions, contamination control, and sustainable larboard operations are cardinal to this alignment with planetary norms.

He besides reaffirmed Nigeria’s beardown committedness to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14, which concerns the conservation and sustainable usage of oceans, seas and marine resources, and to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

“Nigeria has signed the Agreement connected Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) and has already commenced its ratification process. Demonstrating determination leadership, Nigeria has besides spearheaded efforts among West African nations, validating a determination roadmap for the improvement of a connection to designate a High Seas Marine Protected Area successful the Convergence Zone of the Canary and Guinea Currents.

“Nigeria envisions an IMO that is representative, inclusive, and forward-looking. With a colonisation exceeding 240 cardinal — of whom astir 60 per cent are nether 19 years aged — Nigeria is simply a determination maritime person and a spouse for the future. We are making sustained investments successful maritime education, capacity-building, and skills transfer. We are besides committed to sex inclusivity, fostering the information of women arsenic seafarers, larboard operators, and maritime leaders — due to the fact that planetary advancement indispensable remainder connected shared opportunity,” Oyetola said.

According to Oyetola, Nigeria’s run is grounded successful reciprocity and solidari...