The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola, has called for collective efforts by stakeholders for the harness of the potential of the country’s maritime sector.
Oyetola said this recently in Lagos during the launching of the book ‘Nigeria and the Global Maritime Industry’, written by the National Coordinator of the Presidential Port Standing Task Team, Moses Fadipe.
The minister, who was represented at the event by Mr Olayinka Olusanya, commended Fadipe as a front-runner dedicated to national interests, emphasising his valuable contributions to the maritime sector.
Oyetola stressed the need for actionable steps and the implementation of insights from Fadipe’s book, calling for a shift from crude oil dependence to promoting the maritime sector for national benefit.
“In order to add value to the gross domestic product and economic growth, it is expedient that the maritime sector be given keen attention.
“We should not just do the talking, we should actionalise the talking. We should go to the next level of ensuring that we implement everything that he has put in this book for the overall benefit of the nation,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers Council, Pius Ukeyima, highlighted the critical timing of the book launch.
He acknowledged Fadipe’s instrumental role in advancing the PSTT’s objectives, especially in freeing the port corridor and enhancing efficiency.
“I met Mr Fadipe just in November of last year when I assumed (office) as the ES (of) NSC. And immediately, I saw in him someone who is very restless; someone that when you give him an opportunity to serve, you should not be worried about whether he will succeed or not. You should be worried about the extent of the success he will achieve,” he noted.
Earlier, the author of the book, Moses Fadipe, highlighted the book’s synopsis of Nigeria’s maritime evolution, its global comparisons, and the exploration of the country’s current standing.
According to Fadipe, the book, beyond being a historical record, aims to offer insights for students, academicians, and government personnel to shape the future of Nigeria’s maritime industry.
“We looked at how the nation’s maritime sector evolved vis-à-vis global maritime development, looking at how successful Nigeria is all over the years, and how more successful the global nations are even when they have less than 20 per cent from what our maritime coastline is from their waterfront,” he remarked.
The book reviewer and Chief Executive Officer of the Convention on Business Integrity, Olusoji Apampa, described Fadipe’s book as a symphony with five parts.
