The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Hon. Adegboyega Oyetola, CON, has identified tourism, maritime security and waterway transportation as top priority aspects of his leadership.
Oyetola made this assertion today when he inspected some maritime assets at the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Resource Centre, Kirikiri, Lagos.
“Nigeria has about 853km coastline which is in abundance. The first thing is to ensure the security of our waterways so that people will use the waterway for transportation.”
“We need to invite investors. In Kenya there is a particular beach that contain 10,000 villas, one can imagine the kind of revenue they get. I want us to be able to ensure investors in this sector, but investors want to be guaranteed security. So the first thing is to ensure that security of our waterways is guaranteed,” the Minister said.
Oyetola, however, observed that Nigerians are really looking forward to the ministry to harness the potentials that have been there all along, but in a coordinated manner.
The former Osun State Governor also commended NIMASA on the efforts they put in place to ensure the security of the nation’s waterways.
“NIMASA has done very well. I have seen the C4i center and other maritime assets. They have reduced the level of piracy to zero and we should be able to sustain that.”
“I have been to the NIMASA facilities, enforcement areas, the head office, the training school, some officers manning the security of our waterways. I am impressed with what I have seen so far and I think we are really ready for the marine and blue economy in the real sense of it,” the Minister added.
Guiding the Minister on the tour of NIMASA facilities, the Director General, Dr. Bashir Jamoh OFR, showed the new Minister some of the recently commissioned assets.
The Minister was accompanied on the tour by the Permanent Secretary, Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. (Mrs.) Magdalene Ajani and other ministerial delegates.