The Chairperson, Nigeria International Maritime Summit (NIMS), Mrs. Mfon Usoro, has said that Nigeria’s identified maritime potential is sub-optimally realized
Usoro made this known during a media briefing while announcing Nigeria International Maritime Summit 2021 tagged ‘Becoming a regional superpower’, slated to hold between October 5 and 6, 2021.
The Chairperson therefore suggested an improved governance, development of requisite assets/infrastructure, and skills development collaboration.
She said that structured aggregation of maritime existing capabilities is urgently needed for the maritime sector.
Usoro explained that it should be mapped and articulated in line with outcomes from a structured cross-fertilization of insights into continental and global best practices.
According to the NIMS Chairperson, “Nigeria’s identified maritime potentials have only been sub-optimally realised, with studies suggesting among others the need for improved governance, development of requisite assets and infrastructure, skills development collaboration.
“Shipping being a demand driven industry, the potential socio-economic benefits brought on by the projected mutation of the Nigerian maritime landscape in the near term is unlikely to be fully harnessed and localized if a structured aggregation of the existing capabilities within the sector is not urgently embarked upon.
“The foregoing needs to be mapped and articulated in line with outcomes from a structured cross-fertilization of insights into continental and global best practices.
“A clear pathway needs to be defined which harnesses and streamlines the mandates of government and also indexes the roles of private sector and development interests.”