Seize Maritime Sector Opportunities Amid N1.39trn Revenue Growth, Minister Urges Youths

The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has called connected Nigerian youths to prehend the abundant opportunities successful the maritime sector, highlighting the sector’s singular gross maturation to N1.39 trillion successful 2024.

Speaking astatine the Institute of Maritime Studies, University of Lagos (UNILAG), during the authoritative sojourn of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General, Arsenio Domínguez, Oyetola emphasised that the marine and bluish system is rapidly emerging arsenic Nigeria’s large gross earner, with income rising from N700.79 cardinal successful 2023 to N1.39 trillion successful 2024.

The awesome growth, the curate noted, was achieved done bold organization reforms specified arsenic tightening regulatory oversight, sealing gross leakages, streamlining processes, and adopting modernisation practices—not by imposing caller costs connected operators.

According to him, the national authorities is committed to unlocking these opportunities done investments successful infrastructure, manpower development, and planetary partnerships.

“Nigeria’s aboriginal lies beyond oil. The marine and bluish system is simply a goldmine that tin thrust sustainable economical growth, make millions of jobs, and presumption our federation arsenic a planetary maritime hub. We are determined to harness its afloat imaginable to go the superior operator of our economy,” the curate said.

Oyetola, however, urged Nigerian youths to instrumentality vantage of the galore vocation and concern prospects wrong the sector. According to him, the government’s imaginativeness for the bluish system requires a caller procreation of skilled professionals who volition thrust innovation and competitiveness.

“There are abundant opportunities for our young radical successful shipping, logistics, fisheries, shipbuilding, marine research, and offshore energy. I promote you to beryllium bold, innovative, and diligent. The aboriginal of this sector, and so the aboriginal of Nigeria’s economy, rests connected your shoulders,” helium added.

He commended UNILAG and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) for their collaboration successful maritime manpower development, peculiarly the constitution of a modern installation for the Institute of Maritime Studies.

The curate reaffirmed that the national government’s marine and bluish system docket is anchored connected sustainability, innovation, and inclusivity, stressing that younker engagement and capableness gathering are cardinal to achieving the semipermanent vision.