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The President of the Alumni of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron (AMANO), Mr. Emmanuel Maiguwa, has told the Federal Government that Nigeria’s maritime problem is not a shortage of policy but a gap to turn policy into measurable market results.
Speaking at the AMANO Stakeholders’ Engagement and National Convention 2026 at the Oriental Hotel, Lagos, on November 13, he said Nigeria had done well internationally but had yet to reap matching gains at home. “Today, our standing in London has moved ahead of our standing in the market,” he said.
He warned that without a fleet behind it, Nigeria’s seat at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) risks becoming ceremonial, with the country attending meetings and signing instruments while carrying little of the trade they govern.
Maiguwa said Nigeria has lost anchorage business to Lomé, where vessels bound for Lagos now stop for transhipment.
“Every item on that list is a Nigerian payroll that now sits in another country,” he said, as larger vessels increasingly call at deeper neighbouring ports and cargo reaches Nigeria by feeder.
He also raised the shortage of sea-time berths for cadets, saying the road to Master Mariner “runs through sea time, and sea time requires ships,” a platform he said has narrowed since the loss of the national shipping line.
To close the gap, he proposed a military-style chain of policy, strategy, plans and operations, each with measurable targets and clear responsibilities. Under such a plan, he said, NIMASA would publish timetables for fund disbursement, the phasing out of cabotage waivers and sea-time berths.
He urged the government to compose the leadership of maritime agencies to include scholars, experienced professionals, active practitioners and forward-looking younger talent, including Gen Z.
Arguing that “the maritime domain cannot be run from several bridges at once,” he called for stronger coordination under the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
He pleaded with the government to deploy Maritime Academy of Nigeria Oron graduates in strategic roles, describing it as a return on an investment Nigeria has made for 47 years.
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola, who was represented by the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dayo Mobereola, described human capital as the sector’s greatest asset in his keynote address.
He said 222 Nigerian seafarers had received free basic and advanced maritime training, while 333 cadets under the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP) had graduated with degrees and 135 had obtained Certificates of Competency.
Mandatory sea-time placements, he added, had been arranged for 144 NSDP cadets and a further 122 cadets on international vessels.
The Minister said a National Shipping Carrier is being pursued through a Public-Private Partnership to cut dependence on foreign-owned vessels and give cadets sea-time. He also said President Bola Tinubu had approved disbursement of the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund, which had remained largely inaccessible to indigenous shipowners for over two decades, and highlighted Nigeria’s re-election to the IMO Council after a 14-year absence.
He, however, urged AMANO to strengthen mentorship, continuous professional development and industry collaboration, and to expand opportunities for women in technical and leadership roles.
The Rector of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, Dr. Kevin Okonna, who was Chief Host, welcomed delegates and stressed that several AMANO alumni have risen to top positions in the country.
He cited the current Secretary-General of the Abuja MoU on Port State Control, a former Nigerian representative at the IMO, and top officials of agencies including NIMASA and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
In a goodwill message, the Abuja MoU Secretary-General, Capt. Sunday Umoren, said progress “depends on people, capacity, and accountability.” He invited alumni with the right expertise to join the Secretariat’s roster of professional maritime experts and pledged closer cooperation on training and capacity building.
The convention featured two paper presentations, by a leading consultant to the IMO, Mr. William Azu, and the Deputy General Manager, Marine, TotalEnergies, Mr. Larry Amaraibi.
A panel session brought together Umoren and the Director General of the Nigerian Chamber of Shipping (NCS), Mrs. Vivian Chimezie-Azubuike.
The President of the World Maritime University, Mr. Maximo Mejia, joined the Minister in encouraging AMANO to lead efforts to address the challenges facing Nigeria’s shipping industry and to provide future-focused solutions to pressing maritime issues.
