Oyetola sets up committee for Nigeria's marine and blue economy expo
- Marine and Blue Economy Minister Adegboyega Oyetola has inaugurated a committee to organise the Nigeria Marine and Blue Economy Expo (NIMBEX).
- The ministry says the expo will draw foreign investors into ports, shipping, fisheries and inland waterways.
- A multi-agency team chaired by Husseini Shettima will plan the event, with no date or venue yet announced.
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has set up a committee to plan a national expo aimed at pulling investors into Nigeria's waters, ports and fisheries.
The event, the Nigeria Marine and Blue Economy Expo (NIMBEX), is meant to sell the country as a top African destination for maritime trade and innovation, according to statements from the ministry. Oyetola inaugurated the committee on Wednesday, according to ThisDay.
The minister did not attend in person. The ministry's Permanent Secretary, Mrs Fatima Mahmood, stood in for him.
Why it matters
Nigeria has an 853-kilometre coastline and more than 10,000 kilometres of navigable inland waterways running through 28 states, the ministry said. Those waters carry goods, fish and fuel, and support jobs in transport, trading and food supply.
Oyetola said the sector could widen the economy beyond oil, draw capital and create lasting work. In his words, the expo will "provide a strategic platform to bring together the capital, expertise and partnerships needed to unlock these opportunities."
The committee is chaired by Mr Husseini Shettima, a director in the ministry. Hajia Kalthum Ibrahim, also a director, and Professor Busayo Fakinlede, the President's aide on marine and blue economy, are co-chairpersons.
Dr Bolaji Akinola, an adviser to the minister, sits on the committee and will serve as chief operating officer of the expo.
Members also come from the Nigerian Ports Authority, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, the National Inland Waterways Authority and the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria. Maritime schools, fisheries research institutes, coastal state governments, terminal operators, shipowners and barge operators are represented too.
The ministry said the mix is meant to keep planning coordinated and to show investors opportunities backed by government policy.
Talks at the expo are expected to cover port and shipping development, inland waterways, deep-sea mining, offshore energy, maritime finance, fisheries, security and environmental protection. Organisers also plan to highlight newer areas such as green shipbuilding, logistics run with artificial intelligence, subsea robotics and coastal tourism.
Neither source said when or where the expo will hold, or what it will cost.
What happens next
The committee will plan and run the expo. For ordinary Nigerians, the test will be whether the promised investment reaches the water transport, fishing and port work that many families depend on.