The Federal Government says Nigeria’s maritime sector has undergone a far-reaching transformation in the three years since the establishment of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy in August 2023 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu established.
Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola while presenting the Ministry’s three-year scorecard, said that with a 1.83 trillion Naira revenue generated in 2025 by agencies under the Ministry, representing a 160 per cent increase over the 700.79 billion Naira recorded in 2023, the reform programme had delivered measurable gains across revenue generation, port infrastructure, maritime security, regulation, indigenous shipping, human-capital development, fisheries and inland-waterway safety.
Oyetola in a statement by his Special Adviser, Bolaji Akinola said that the new Nigeria Ports Economic Regulatory Authority (NPERA) framework, will strengthen economic regulation of the port sector, while interventions through the Ministry and its agencies had saved port users more than 86 billion Naira in unjustified demurrage.
In November 2025, Nigeria regained its seat on the International Maritime Organization’s Category C Council after a 14-year absence, while through the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the nation also secured the lifting of the 12-year United States Coast Guard Condition of Entry restrictions affecting vessels arriving from Nigerian ports, indicating that Nigeria is not only reforming its maritime sector at home; but also reclaiming her rightful voice and influence internationally.
On inland waterways, safety interventions included the distribution of thousands of lifejackets with plans to replace unsafe wooden boats with modern fibreglass vessels, just as the fisheries sector also recorded growth, with fish production reaching 1.4 million metric tonnes in 2025, Oyetola emphasised
NTA News
