As the shipping sector fine-tunes plans for the upturn edition of the Nigeria Maritime Expo (NIMAREX) in June 2025, maritime bigwigs have secured the support of the leadership of Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) ahead of the event.
Leading a team of eminent maritime industry leaders, the Chairperson of the Maritime Sector Group at LCCI, Funmi Folorunso, was accompanied on the visit by the Chairman, Nigerian Ports Consultative Council (NPCC), Mr. Bolaji Sunmola; President, Association of Marine Engineers and Surveyors (AMES), Engr. Isreal Obadan; President, African Women in Maritime (WIMA) Nigerian Chapter, Mrs. Rollens Macfoy; President, Women in Maritime Organisations of West and Central Africa (WIMOWCA) Nigeria chapter, Mrs. Oritematosan Edodo-Emore.
Others were; former General Manager, Corporate Communications at Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and Chairperson, NPCC Ports Operations and Logistics Committee, Capt. Ihenacho Ebubeogu; Vice President of Nigerian Chamber of Shipping (NCS) and Chairperson, NPCC Finance Committee, Ify Akerele; a representative of the Nigerian Maritime Law Association (NMLA), Laura Allison-Ikwuagwu; other representatives from the Abuja Memorandum of Understanding (MoU); Maritime Reporters’ Association of Nigeria (MARAN); among others.
Speaking at the event, Folorunso, stated that need for NIMAREX and the maritime industry to partner with the LCCI emerged after understanding the Chamber’s strategic structure which has the whole sectoral groups across the nation’s economy.
“At my first meeting as Chairman, LCCI Maritime Sector group, I observed the Chamber is beautifully structured to have all sectoral groups. I spoke a friend about this and she quickly reminded me that I’m here to bring the maritime sector and NIMAREX to this special LCCI. We are here to collaborate and I’m grateful for this opportunity,” she said.
She recalled that decades ago as the Director General of the only ship owners association in the country, Indigenous Ship Owners Association of Nigeria (ISAN), the NIMAREX event commenced when Chief Isaac Jolapomo as ISAN President wondered why foreign nations couldn’t come to Nigeria for a shipping fair to explore the nation’s maritime opportunities.
Folorunso noted that NIMAREX became institutionalised as a platform to promote the nation and sell the multiple shipping investment and trade opportunities to the world.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the NPCC, Mr. Bolaji Sunmola, described the engagement between maritime industry leaders and LCCI as a “strategic handshake” that could transform the nation.
His words: “It is important that this sectoral part of the economy gets its acts together for efficient ports and a vibrant shipping sector. We need collaboration and synergy. This handshake between two major groups is unique and it is a handshake that could positively transform this nation.”
On his part, a former ship captain, Capt. Ihenacho Ebubeogu, explained that shipping accounts for over 92% of global trade while Nigeria is the final destination for over 70% of goods shipped into the West and Central African sub-region.
After reeling out the shipping statistics, Ebubeogu harped on collaboration to enable the Lagos maritime domain optimise trade via its seaports.
“In the maritime sector, we are concerned the ports and efficiency, trade and shipping. We need to collaborate from ship owners to master mariners, lawyers to ombudsmen, journalists to researchers, women groups, NIMAREX exemplifies collaboration,” Ebubeogu posited.
Meanwhile, the President of LCCI, Mr. Gabriel Idahosa pledged commitment to NIMAREX 2025 even as he enjoined the planning committee to engage the LCCI Director General, Mrs. Chinyere Almona to iron out areas and terms of the collaboration.
Idahosa expressed delight at the rich maritime delegation even as he described the maritime sector group at the LCCI as one of the most significant in terms of its impact on the nation’s economy.
His words: “Lagos has always been a marine location and it’s maritime history predates its emergence as the nation’s capital city or commercial capital. So, the maritime sector is special to LCCI. We have 27 sectoral groups in here and the maritime group is one of the critical ones in terms of its contribution to the economy.
“It is also heartwarming that the federal government has discovered the need for special attention to the industry by creating a distinct Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy to reposition the industry. I’m open to listening to learn more about the industry and I look forward to the NIMAREX.”
