…Maritime leaders rally in Lagos to turn strategy into measurable gains
IMION Consultant And Managing Partner Paul Usoro & Co
The International Maritime Institute of Nigeria, IMION, has declared that Nigeria’s blue economy agenda must now move decisively from policy conversations to measurable implementation outcomes, as it closed its three day Executive Programme in Apapa, Lagos.
IMION said the programme which ran from April 15 to April 17 provided an intensive intellectual platform that brought together leading voices across Nigeria’s maritime and allied sectors in a highly engaging policy exchange.
According to Managing Partner Paul Usoro and Co and IMION consultant Mrs Mfon Ekong Usoro, the breadth of participation reflected a rising national urgency to unlock the country’s vast marine and coastal economic potential.
Mrs Mfon Usoro noted that the training was deliberately designed for senior level participants positioned to influence policy direction and drive implementation across critical maritime institutions.
She highlighted strong representation from government agencies, private sector operators, shipping professionals, and allied industries, describing it as a sign of growing ecosystem alignment.
Usoro observed that although IMION is a relatively new institution, it has quickly gained visibility and traction among key maritime stakeholders.
She further noted a broad consensus among participants and governing stakeholders that the programme is recording steady improvement in quality, relevance, and participation levels.
Mrs. Usoro stressed that the executive programme is not open to general participation but tailored for middle to top management professionals involved in policy formulation and execution.
She commended the balanced presence of both public and private sector actors, including maritime operators, transport experts, and industry specialists from beyond the shipping environment.
Usoro noted that the training helped demystify the blue economy concept, distinguishing it from traditional marine economy thinking and reinforcing its sustainability driven framework.
According to her: “The discourse emphasized that global maritime development has moved from resource exploitation to sustainability, regeneration, and long term environmental stewardship.
“Economic, social, and environmental sustainability were identified as the three core pillars that must now guide all blue economy investments and policy decisions”.
Stakeholders described IMION as steadily evolving into a central platform for blue economy knowledge development, policy dialogue, and maritime sector coordination.
The institute explained that the blue economy offers a diversified source of national wealth, spanning aquaculture, marine biotechnology, seabed mining, and knowledge based research sectors.
Usoro warned that without marine spatial planning, overlapping licenses and sectoral conflicts could undermine efficient use of coastal and offshore resources.
It was agreed that effective delivery of Nigeria’s blue economy agenda depends on stronger institutional coordination across ministries, regulators, and development agencies.
The Director General of IMION described the programme as highly successful, noting that its recommendations would support national development, while unveiling the institute’s newsletter as a new platform for maritime knowledge sharing across Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea.