Harboursandport.com: Lagos, Nigeria — September 1, 2025: A major international webinar aimed at charting a 50-year strategic roadmap for Nigeria’s indigenous maritime trade is set to take place this week, drawing attention from maritime professionals across the globe.
Organized by the Centre for Indigenous Maritime Trade and Transport Studies, the event is themed “Agenda Setting for Nigeria’s Indigenous Maritime Trade: The 50-Year Plan.”
The webinar comes at a critical time for Nigeria’s maritime sector, which has seen indigenous operators sidelined while foreign carriers dominate international shipping routes. According to the Centre’s Director, Dr. Edmund Chilaka, the event will serve as a “visioning and ideation platform” to reimagine the future of Nigeria’s shipping industry.
Confirmed speakers include renowned maritime strategist Prof. Nick White (Keynote), Capt. Sunday Umoren, Engr. Bob Alfa, Mr. Anthony Ogadi, and Barrister Damilola Osinuga. The Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola, and NIMASA Director General, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, have been invited to deliver goodwill messages.
The webinar will revisit Sections 35–38 of the NIMASA Act, which mandate that government cargoes be reserved for indigenous shipping companies—a policy that once fostered a thriving local fleet in the 1990s. However, its suspension in 2001 under the Obasanjo administration led to the collapse of indigenous deep-sea operations, loss of foreign exchange, and a decline in seafarer training.
Today, Nigerian carriers are largely confined to coastal shipping, with no presence in deep ocean trade. Stakeholders hope the webinar will reignite political will and policy reform to reclaim Nigeria’s stake in global maritime commerce.
With the Federal Government’s recent adoption of a marine and blue economy policy, industry watchers say the time is ripe for bold leadership and renewed investment in indigenous shipping.
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