- Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola (left) and the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Magdalene Ajani, at the ministry’s 2024 budget presentation in Abuja…Wednesday
By Anthony Nwachukwu
Rehabilitation and modernisation of the dilapidated Apapa and Tin Can ports in Lagos, as well as rehabilitation of the Eastern ports and dredging of the inland and coastal waterways are prime targets in the N10.9 billion 2024 budget of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola.
Oyetola disclosed this Wednesday while presenting the budget to the joint Senate and House Committees on Marine Transport, Ports and Harbour, Maritime Safety, Education and Administration, Inland Waterways and Shipping Services.
The proposed budget, he said, would also enable the newly created ministry perform its prime role of oversight and monitoring of the implementation of government policies across agencies under its purview.
He noted that as part the Port Reforms Act of 2006, the Federal Government still owns the ports and should continually ensure that they are best maintained and kept in optimal state to enable usage and interest from the concessionaires.
“You are aware that the 2024 budget is for economic growth, therefore, the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and its agencies under the 2024 budget seek to consider and sustain the achievements and performances recorded in the past years.”
To realise these initiatives, he urged the committees to also appropriate needed funds as proposed in the budgets of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) and the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) to facilitate the projects.
According to him, other areas of focus include maritime administration, human capacity building, and effective technical and economic regulation, all towards ultimately strengthening the nation’s blue economy.
Oyetola informed the committee that the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) are fully self-funding and also make reasonable remittances to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF/TSA).
Others – National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron and Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) derive funding from the government and internally generated revenue. He also reminded the committees of the CRFFN’s 2023 appropriation, which was erroneously removed, and requested that the matter be revisited.
Spokesperson for the joint committees, Sen. Wasiu Sanni, had earlier assured that the committees would give the necessary support for the maritime sector to perform optimally, to boost remittances to the federation account and the overall gross domestic product (GDP).
Also, committee members expressed hope that the new ministry would put necessary infrastructure in place, such as draught level, seamless port clearance, including cargo scanners, to attract more ship call at Nigerian ports.
They also back the ministry’s drive to initiate coastal guards and facilitate the release of cabotage funds to aid indigenous shipping lines, among others.
