The League of Maritime Editors has called for urgent measures to address the imbalance in cargo vessel calls between Lagos and Nigeria’s Eastern ports, saying a more equitable distribution of maritime traffic would strengthen the nation’s blue economy and broaden economic opportunities across the coastal states.
The call was made on Thursday at the League’s annual conference and Annual General Meeting held at BWC Hotel, Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Lagos, with the theme, “Lagos/Eastern Ports: How to Reverse Existing Imbalance in Disproportionate Cargo Vessel Calls.”
The conference was chaired by Captain Iheanacho Ebubeogu, while the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Chief Adegboyega Oyetola, was the special guest of honour and keynote speaker.
Other key participants included the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Dr Abubakar Dantsoho; Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Dr Dayo Mobereola; Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi; and the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Dr Pius Akutah Ukeyima.
Delivering her welcome address, the former President of the League of Maritime Editors, Mrs Remi Itie, said journalists had a responsibility to set the agenda for policymakers while informing, educating and enlightening the public on issues affecting national development.
Itie said the conference was organised as part of the League’s contribution to national development, stressing that the objective was not to undermine any government institution but to identify gaps, examine opportunities and share practical lessons that could improve the maritime sector.
According to her, the choice of the conference theme reflected the League’s concern over the concentration of cargo vessel calls around the Lagos ports and the need to unlock the economic potential of ports in the eastern part of the country.
She urged the Federal Government and maritime stakeholders to develop strategies capable of attracting more cargo to the Eastern ports, arguing that such a policy would stimulate economic activities and create wider opportunities for coastal communities and businesses.
Itie acknowledged the comparative advantages enjoyed by the Western ports and their contribution to the nation’s revenue, but argued that greater cargo distribution to Eastern ports would help expand Nigeria’s economic base and increase the contribution of the maritime sector to national development.
She also called for comprehensive mapping and development of Nigeria’s coastal areas, stressing that the country could derive greater value from its extensive marine resources through deliberate investment in ports, tourism, fisheries and other components of the blue economy.
The League president cited the Ethiope River corridor from Abraka through Eku to Sapele in Delta State as an example of the untapped potential in Nigeria’s inland waterways, particularly in tourism and agro fisheries, while noting that similar opportunities existed in Bayelsa and other coastal states.
Beyond cargo distribution, Itie urged the authorities to address pollution and waste along Nigeria’s coastal corridors, warning that contamination of marine and freshwater resources could have serious consequences for fishing communities, consumers and the export potential of Nigerian marine products.
She said the conference would provide an opportunity for stakeholders to examine the relationship between port development, national security, pollution of territorial waters and the uneven distribution of vessel calls, with relevant agencies expected to present position papers.
The League president expressed optimism that the discussions would generate practical recommendations for repositioning Nigeria’s maritime sector and accelerating the development of the Marine and Blue Economy.
She noted that Nigeria possessed abundant natural and human resources capable of supporting sustained economic growth, urging stakeholders to develop and implement policies that would enable the country to fully harness its maritime potential.
Itie thanked the Nigerian Shippers’ Council for its support and the Nigerian Ports Authority for its contribution towards the success of the conference, expressing hope that the gathering would help set a new agenda for the growth of Nigeria’s maritime industry and the wider economy.