The former governor of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola who many refer to as a cousin to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has been appointed the Minister of the newly created Marine and Blue Economy Ministry by Tinubu, but stakeholders still express reservation for his expected performance due his dismal outing while he superintended the affairs of Osun State as governor
By Augustine Ojeikhoa
The pioneer Minister of the newest ministry in Nigeria, Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola was sworn in on Monday, August 21, 2023 by his acclaimed senior cousin, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Tinubu at the swearing in ceremony charged members of his cabinet to remain focused in serving the country instead of showing allegiance to their regions and states.
Stakeholders in the Nigeria’s maritime business had longed for the creation of a ministry that would cater specifically to the needs of the sector which has hardly achieved the potentials in it due to political meddlesomeness.
The Blue and Marine Economy has such potentials that are capable of increasing Nigeria’s revenue and create millions of job opportunities if properly harnessed. These according to the World Bank include that the blue economy is the “sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving the health of the ocean ecosystem.”
Over three billion people depend on ocean resources for their livelihood, and more than half of the oxygen humans breathe come from the oceans. The African Union (AU) estimates that the blue economy currently generates about $300 billion for the continent, creating 49 million jobs in the process.
Furthermore, the blue economy concept emphasises sustainability of the oceans which are exploited for economic benefits. The economic activities in the traditional sector include fisheries, coastal leisure and tourism, ship and boat building, sea water desalination, offshore oil and gas, and shipping (marine transportation).
Nigeria, which is situated in the Gulf of Guinea, has a massive coastline of about 420 nautical miles and an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of 200 nautical miles. This translates to a maritime area of 290 square kilometres, about one-third of the country’s land area.
The new Minister Oyetola has admitted that Nigeria has a significant role to play in the maritime sector due to the size of its blue economy. “Our oceans cover more than two-thirds of the African planet’s surface.
“As we look ahead, my vision is rooted in the responsible management and utilisation of our marine resources to benefit not only our economy but also the health of our planet.
“Experts say the blue economy is estimated to be worth more than 1.5 trillion Dollars per year globally.
“Therefore, given our size as a country and considering the size of our blue economy, we should be a significant player in this sector, “the minister said.
He said the sector has the potential to contribute immensely to revenue generation and provide jobs for the unemployed.
He said the nation ought to come up with practicable ways of ensuring the nation`s inland rivers, lakes, and waterways were well utilised, both in terms of cargo shipment and passenger transportation.
“And this can be done by embarking on a holistic dredging campaign for most of our strategically important inland waterways so as to make them navigable for the passage of goods and people.
“We equally have a duty to promote better inter-agency cooperation and coordination between the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, the Nigerian Ports Authority, and the Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority”.
The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh has welcomed the former Governor of Osun State, Oyetola to the new Ministry of Marine & Blue Economy.
In a post on social media on Monday, August 21, 2023, the NIMASA DG said that, “Welcome, Honourable Minister, Sir @GboyegaOyetola.
“The Nigerian Maritime Sector looks forward to your sterling leadership experience towards realizing the Blue Economy.”
The Director General of NIMASA Dr Jamoh has also hailed Tinubu’s foresight in heeding the calls for such a desirable ministry at a time when the country is going through financial distress.
In a statement by the Assistant Director, Public Relations, Edwards Osagie, the DG while expressing optimism that the maritime industry is large enough to engage the teeming youths in the country adequately, urged them to take advantage of the opportunities in the Nigerian maritime sector.
He said, “I want to commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for creating the Marine and Blue Economy Ministry. There are new opportunities around us, and I’m glad Nigeria, with the creation of this ministry, will explore the concept of the blue economy.
“The blue economy is the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving the health of the ocean ecosystem. Blue Economy Activities include Maritime shipping, Fishing & aquaculture, Coastal tourism, Renewable energy, Water desalination, Undersea cabling, Seabed extractive industries & deep sea mining, Marine genetic resources, and Biotechnology.”
“Honestly, this ministry is long overdue, more importantly, to support the diversification of the economy. Efficient management and sustainable exploitation of the marine resources in our seas and oceans, no doubt, provide a veritable tool for Economic Growth.” Jamoh said.
A Political Economist, Prof Pat Utomi has also identified the major reasons Nigeria’s maritime business has been suffering endless setback for ages. Utomi said lack of proper regulatory framework to drive the maritime business sector to the path of economic prosperity has contributed majorly to lack of economic growth in the sector.
Recall that at a recent roundtable workshop organized by the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN), the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) had clashed over regulatory issues especially as it affected the barge operators in the maritime business.
Thus, at another roundtable workshop organized by the NLNG Shipping and Marine Services Ltd (NSML) in partnership with the Utomapp Limited in Lagos on Tuesday, August 22, 2023, Prof Utomi who delivered an address titled, “Emerging Technology and Regulations in the Global Maritime Industry of the Future and the Impacts on the Nigerian Sector”, stressed that the use of non- professionals and experts such as politicians to run the maritime agencies by the appointing authorities has increased the chaos that is bedeviling the sector.
Utomi said, “When you have an area that can transform your economy, you do not send boys to go and make money there, you find people who are capable of opening the place up and get them to go and transform your country. But regulators and people who lead do not understand what they are doing because there is a challenge of purpose.
“The maritime sector is seen as a place where they send people to go and make money. This is an industry where we can solve the problem of this economy because the possibilities are tremendous. There are so many ventures that flow out of the maritime sector”.
Jimi Agbaje, a Pharmacist and a governorship aspirant in Lagos State said that the essence of creating the Marine and Blue Economy Ministry is to tap into the economic opportunities in the nation’s maritime business sector. Agbaje who spoke on Arise Television Morning Show on Thursday, August 24, 2023 said water transportation, food security in the Gulf of Guinea, tourism and aquatic splendor were part of the areas that necessitated the creation of the new ministry.
Agbaje also hinted that of the $1.5 trillion worth of yearly revenue accrued from the global maritime business, NPA can only boast of earning a paltry $100 million (N400 billion) yearly from where it remits only one quarter to the Federal Government coffers. He further revealed that of the three billion jobs the Marine Economy generates Nigeria’s share remained infinitesimal.
The former governorship contender regretted that none of Nigeria’s sea ports is reckoned among the best sea ports in the world. This development, Agbaje said is a result of difficulty in the access of ships to the ports and size of ships the ports can accommodate, port access roads, storage problems that lead to congestion, human capacity development that is very low and equipment which affect turnaround time in the shipping business.
Agbaje advised Oyetola to focus on the rehabilitation of the Apapa and Tincan Island Ports and improve their turnaround time. He advised that concessionaires that have failed to perform optimally should have their concession terminated. He also argued that focusing on developing other ports in the South East and South South would be counterproductive.
However, Agbaje expressed reservation for any expected commendable performance by the Minister, Oyetola because he is not an expert but a politician.
Sonny Iroche of the University of Oxford charged Oyetola to seek to revive the moribund Institute for Marine and Ocean Research to improve human capacity building. Iroche said it was time Nigeria adopted the use of Artificial Intelligence in harnessing the full potential of the Marine Economy. According to him, the AI deployment would identify where fishes flock in the sea, decipher sea creatures that are good for food and medicinal purposes.
Iroche also argued that if the new minister intends to tap into the potentials in the nation’s ports, he should seek to develop and utilize the ports in Port Harcourt and Onne in Rivers State, those of Warri and Sapele in Delta State as well as the Calabar Port in Cross River State.
As Oyetola settles down to oversee a ministry he is not versed in its operations, many analysts have also faulted the appointment of a politician as the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy. Some told Tentacle that Oyetola choice for the Marine and Blue Economy Ministry is more of political consideration on the part of Tinubu than what the industry operators are yearning for. They agreed that Tinubu did not carry out consultation with the relevant operators in the maritime business sector who could have advised him properly before the Oyetola appointment.
These argued that Oyetola failed woefully as a governor of his Osun State for which he was roundly voted out when he sought for a second term.
