“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results,”

– Rita Mae Brown

 

The apt saying above is credited to Civil rights campaigner and feminist writer Rita Mae Brown. While the idea of a link between repetition and insanity can be traced back to the 19th century especially when one anticipates a different outcome, this phrase became famous after Rita Mae Brown published it in her 1983 book ‘Sudden Death’.

 

Although 2024 posed numerous challenges to the nation’s maritime industry, there is an optimism that the year 2025 brings many hopes, aspirations and prospects for better success and notable accomplishments at seaports, seafaring, indigenous shipping, inland waterways, as well as anciliary shipping services and other subsets of the blue economy.

 

Nonetheless, a positive shift in the anticipated industry goals would require some thoughtful changes in the mode of operations, improved soft and hard infrastructure and a shared commitment to attain the much-desired efficiency and growth in the maritime sector.

 

The cost of food and essential drugs remained a significant concern for many Nigerian households in 2024. In his new year speech on January 1st, 2025, President Bola Tinubu, stressed that the government is committed to intensifying efforts to lower these costs by boosting food production and promoting local manufacturing of essential drugs and other medical supplies. The President also disclosed an ambition to reduce inflation from its current high of 34.6% to 15%. Achieving these lofty national economic targets will require an equitably managed maritime sector.

 

In a bid to ensure the nation doesn’t find itself stuck in an unpleasant cycle of repetition while expecting favourable results via the maritime sector, MARAN News engaged various categories of industry veterans who outlined some topmost goals for the blue economy and proffered a pragmatic approach to attaining them.

 

Nigerian Shipowners’ Perspective

 

Sharing the views of Nigerian shipowners, the President of Ship Owners Association of Nigeria (SOAN), Mr. Sonny Eja, advised the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to learn from the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) for the disbursement of Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF).

 

Eja noted that under the leadership of the former Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Simbi Wabote, the Board was able to disburse the NCI fund with an initial $200 million and a subsequent $150 million to operators, therefore he urged NIMASA to set clear guidelines and criteria for stakeholders to access the fund.

 

According to him, there are many benefits to be derived from the disbursement of CVFF loan as it will instigate growth in the sector and generate a lot of employment.

 

“In 2025, as a ship owner, one goal I want achieved in the sector is CVFF disbursement but for that to happen there should be clear guidelines and criteria for accessing this fund. That’s what NCDMB did in partnership with the Bank of Industry (BoI). Companies that are qualified to access this fund should be able to get the money to finance their vessels. It will be a great deal for ship owners and other industry players if CVFF gets disbursed.

 

 

“There are also other things that could be done with this fund. We have several shipyards in this country, so CVFF can be channeled towards standardizing and bringing the shipyards to best standards. Today, if we have to drydock our vessels we have to go abroad despite having shipyards in-country. I believe that there are Nigerians that have a certain level of experience in terms of shipyards and shipbuilding where these funds can be channeled to standardizing the shipyards.”

 

The SOAN President also stressed the need for more engagements and collaborations with the major stakeholders in the likes of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, NPA, NNPC, NIMASA, among others for the overall benefits of the nation.

 

Eja also underlined the need to revisit the ship registry at NIMASA with emphasis on automated processes that enhances transparency and ease of doing business as well as service-driven costs.

 

Port Economic Regulator

 

Speaking from the perspective of the nation’s port economic regulator, the Executive Secretary of Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Barr. Pius Akutah MON, described the progress made with the Nigeria Shipping and Port Economic Regulatory Agency Bill, which has scaled through the House of Representatives and the Senate, as one of the biggest accomplishments in 2024.

 

While engaging journalists at the NSC management retreat in January 2025, the NSC boss expressed optimism that the bill, in few weeks, will get Presidential assent and speedily transform the nation’s ports even as it avails the Council requisite legal backing to address modern issues.

 

The proposed bill, which is under review, is set to revolutionize Nigeria’s maritime sector by reducing operational costs, attracting investments, and enhancing regulatory efficiency.

 

His words: “As the port economic regulator, one of our major concerns is that industry investments must yield profits and for that to happen, there has to be appropriate infrastructure. The infrastructure must be better to help the nation emerge as a shipping and logistics hub.”

 

The NSC boss maintained that the emergence of AfCFTA and its huge market means that the country must improve its shipping services in practice and infrastructure. He remarked that maritime logistics remains a major challenge in regional trade.

 

AMANO/ MASPAN Expectations

 

The President of Maritime Security Providers Association of Nigeria (MASPAN), Mr. Emmanuel Maiguwa, who also doubles as the President of the Alumni of Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron (AMANO) shared 2025 expectations for both groups.

 

Maiguwa emphasised the need for data for various aspects of the maritime sector, stating that “when one want to assess his or her situation to plan a new phase of development or know what plans to put in place, the starting point is the data to analyse the current situation.”

 

His words: “We don’t have a maritime data bank today, so it is extremely difficult to analyse with accuracy the contribution of the maritime sector to the country’s GDP. There are few companies or organisations that will look at indices in their own individual data. Where there are statistics; they are existing in silos. For example, if the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) presents 3% statistics for GDP contribution and one organisation who has access to data within the maritime industry comes to the conclusion that just that sector is given 3.5%, then you can say that the NBS data is not comprehensive. It becomes an indicator that it is not complete.

 

“How do we collect this data? I would say that I believe it should come out of local organisations. We have a tradition of always relying on whatever International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has developed. I want to see legislation establishing a framework for collecting data in the maritime space, which would make it mandatory for certain information to be reported and documented in a certain manner. That way we can actually see what the GDP is, then we can also see the gap, and it will be very easy to know which area we should concentrate on in policy formulation and improvement.”

 

He also expressed optimism that the National Policy for Marine and Blue Economy will be completed soonest, stressing that it will be beneficial to have the policy document ready by the first quarter of 2025.

 

“I would want government to pay attention to what drives the maritime economy. What drives the maritime economy is ships, and not just the availability of ships, but the profitability of running a vessel. It doesn’t make sense if we encourage Nigeria to move from 200 to 500 ships, from 500 to 600, 700 within a milestone or timeframe when they are not operating profitably. So, it is very important that we pay attention to the issues related to operational expenses of a vessel,” he added.

 

A Maritime Lawyer’s Perspective

 

According to a veteran maritime lawyer, Barr. Emmanuel Nwagbara, by the end of 2025, the nation should have in place a blue economy policy driving development in the maritime industry.

 

This policy, he recommends, should be integrated to the overall transportation policy in Nigeria as a good holistic policy will enhance maritime business in Nigeria from all aspects of the marine and blue economy.

 

“With the Marine and Blue Economy as lead ministry, we expect that this policy will ensure synergy with other ministries whose functions have an impact on the marine and blue economy. For instance, the Minister of Finance and the Nigeria Customs Service are responsible for developing and implementing the proposed fixed rate of exchange for imports, which the Tax Reform Committee proposed, would come into play in 2025, and seaport operations will be largely affected by these developments,” he told MARAN News.

 

He opined that there is a need to amend the constitution to give state governments the power to license businesses on the waterways as far as transportation of goods and persons are concerned and other businesses that can be done within the brown waters and interstate waters.

 

“Coast Guard Bill should be fast-tracked and implemented because it can ensure safety and security to a large extent on our waters. The Nigeria Shipping and Port Economic Regulatory Agency is another bill expected to be signed into law by the first quarter of 2025,”  he said.

 

He warned that there are grave implications of the recent Supreme Court decision that involved the Lagos State government and National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), which ruleid that NIWA has control of all inland waterways and all interstates in terms of regulation of businesses on the waterways, adding that it could dissuade states from investing in the sector.

 

Nigerian Chamber of Shipping

 

The Director General of Nigerian Chamber of Shipping (NCS), Mrs. Vivian Chimezie-Azubuike, listed the ongoing discussions on National Single Window and the National Policy for Marine and Blue Economy as worthwhile accomplishments that should be prioritised in 2025.

 

“For several years, industry stakeholders have been pushing for a maritime transport policy which was expected to be embedded in the nation’s transport policy. However, the emergence of the Marine and Blue Economy Ministry shows that the sector is no longer subsumed under the transport sector even though maritime is also a major aspect of transport.

 

“We should be hopeful that with the efforts that have been made by the Minister, engaging stakeholders, that we’ll see the fruition of the maritime policy this year. The policy will provide the framework as to how to navigate the industry, especially with the emergence of the marine and blue economy ministry,” she said.

 

Vivian also extolled recent conscious efforts to have Coastguards on the inland waterways and appreciated the Managing Director of NIWA, Bola Oyebamiji for engaging experts in building the right boats to curb frequent boat mishaps.

 

“I think we should also be looking at sustainable transportation within the maritime sector, especially since we are now talking about greener shipping, low sulphur fuel, etc. There are still issues around the freight and insurance as it affects shipping.

 

“The war risk insurance is still being levied on vessels coming to Nigeria and this is a major challenge that should be addressed in 2025. I hope that strategic engagement with the international shipping community can help us to review that status because we have stabilized our territorial waters already on the issue of security and piracy,” she stated.

 

Freight Forwarders Perspective

 

A former Acting National President of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Dr. Kayode Farinto prioritised the attainment of the National Single Window (NSW) Project as one of his 2025 expectations.

 

His words: “Now, that we are seeing political will through the Presidency, I want this speedily achieved. However, if we must achieve NSW, there are things that must be put in place. There must be attitudinal change, political will, and there must be legal framework. If there is no legal framework, anybody can just take this NSW to court and reverse it.

 

“Generally, there must be discipline across various facets of port operations including government agencies and private sector operators.”

 

Farinto, however, noted that the NSW must provide punitive measures for agencies or operators who may be responsible for delays in cargo evacuation.

 

“We have seen cases where some agencies or operators deliberately delay cargoes without any legitimate reason. What is the punishment that is meted to that department? There must be discipline, and that is why we need a legal framework. If there is a legal framework and punishments.

 

“People who have their consignments unduely delayed should be able to lean on the law to demand compensation for the delays from whatever agency or organisation that has been responsible for the delay,” Farinto argued.

 

The veteran freight forwarder also encouraged the federal government to put less emphasis on revenue generation, but prioritise trade facilitation which in turn leads to more revenue.

 

Also speaking, the President of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Chief Tochukwu Ezisi identified the sector’s biggest need as enhancing efficiency and transparency through digitalization.

 

His words: “The Nigerian freight forwarding industry still relies heavily on manual processes, leading to inefficiencies, delays, and increased costs. Digitalization is crucial to streamline operations, reduce paperwork, and promote transparency.”

 

The NAGAFF President outlined some strategies to achieve digitalization to include; implementation of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) systems to facilitate the electronic exchange of documents, such as bills of lading, invoices, and customs clearance documents.

 

He also noted the need for regulators and port operators to invest in robust cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive data and prevent cyber threats, even as he encouraged the use of digital payment systems to reduce cash transactions, minimize revenue leakages, and increase transparency.

 

“The provision of training and capacity-building programs for freight forwarders to develop the necessary skills to effectively utilize digital tools and platforms should be sacrosanct. This will ensure freight forwarders are partners in the national goal of increasing efficiency and transparency at seaports.

 

“Digital platforms will provide real-time tracking, enabling freight forwarders to monitor shipments and communicate with stakeholders more effectively. Digital payment systems and electronic documentation will minimize revenue leakages and reduce the need for physical documentation, leading to cost savings,” he asserted.