The Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Dr Akutah Pius Ukeyima, Esq, MON, FCIL, has lauded the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for his unwavering commitment to rebranding the sector into a powerhouse for national economic development.
According to Akutah, the Minister’s top reform priority centers on steering the blue economy along a development trajectory that yields immediate, positive impacts on the nation’s wealth.
The Shippers’ Council boss disclosed this during a courtesy visit by the League of Maritime Editors (LOME) at his Apapa office in Lagos. He revealed that the Minister’s aggressive interventions are already yielding tangible fruits, notably triggering a fresh influx of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into Nigeria.
Akutah emphasized that this strategic drive aligns perfectly with the Federal Government’s policy of accelerating sectoral growth and positioning the nation as a premier destination for global capital.
“You can see that the operators in the sector are beginning to put in more investments,” Akutah noted, pointing to major terminal operator APM Terminals as a prime example of this new investment wave.”
Highlighting the Minister’s hands-on approach, the Shippers’ Council boss added: “He (Minister) has personally taken the journey for himself – to look for foreign investors into the country. And you can see that the operators in the sector are beginning to put in more investments. We can see what the APMT is doing in terms of the investment profiling they are bringing up. The MD has already announced $100m investment portfolio that is coming. And so many other areas of port reform.”
Elaborating on the Minister’s vision, the Shippers’ Council boss noted the long-term goals of the current initiatives. “We want these reforms to take root and begin to manifest so that we will be beneficiaries of what is happening,” he explained.
Akutah expressed regret over Nigeria’s delayed participation during the initial signing of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement, noting that the country must now make up for lost time. He asserted that Nigeria’s immediate goal must be dominating the regional shipping landscape, positioning itself first as the maritime hub for West and Central Africa, before scaling up to anchor the entire continent.
“The only thing left for us is to work hard and ensure that we give ourselves a maritime hub for at least the West and Central Africa, and eventually if we can be able to muscle the hub for the whole of Africa,” Akutah stated. “The African Continental Free Trade Area has come to stay. Our economy is no longer closed, it is open to over a billion people in Africa.”
During the engagement, Akutah described the media’s role as pivotal in driving Marine and Blue Economy reforms, noting its critical contribution to actualizing the Federal Government’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) drive. He emphasized that the press is vital for shaping public perception, promoting transparency, and ensuring stakeholders fully understand maritime policies.
“We have to partner with the media,” Akutah asserted. “Proactive media is necessary for projecting the efforts of the government. Our doors are open to the media. When you don’t reach us sometimes, it is just duty call. For us to pull investments into the country, we need the media.”
“We have to partner with the media,” Akutah asserted. “Proactive media is necessary for projecting the efforts of the government. Our doors are open to the media. When you don’t reach us sometimes, it is just duty call. For us to pull investments into the country, we need the media.”
He added: “We love the media because our activities will go out there for people to know what we are doing, and we cannot do that by ourselves. When we are not around, it is because sometimes our bosses are in Abuja and when they call on us, we must go and answer.”
The NSC boss commended LOME for its unwavering professionalism and consistency in steering maritime reportage over the years. Reaffirming the Council’s commitment to the media, he assured the League of sustained collaboration, deeper support, and the continuous nurturing of their existing partnership.
To ensure seamless information flow, Akutah pledged that the Council will strictly maintain an open-door policy with the press. He added that under his leadership, the NSC remains fiercely committed to executing the Federal Government’s policies to transform Nigeria’s ports into highly efficient, globally competitive, and user-friendly hubs.
Earlier in her remarks, the President of LOME, Mrs Remi Itie, stated that the visit aimed to secure the Executive Secretary’s support and attendance at the League’s upcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM), while cementing the robust partnership between the Council and the media.
Mrs Itie pledged that members of the League will continue to deliver objective reportage, actively backing the government’s aggressive drive to reposition the maritime sector for sustained national economic growth.
