Blue Economy
Dangote Refinery’s 456,000-Tonne Export Triumph Lays Bare FG’s Maritime Policy Failures — MARASSON
Dangote Refinery’s 456,000-Tonne Export Triumph Lays Bare FG’s Maritime Policy Failures — MARASSON
By Raymond Gold Co-publisher/Research Reporter, Waterways News
The Maritime Researchers and Authors Association of Nigeria (MARASSON) has declared that the Dangote Refinery’s landmark export of 456,000 tonnes of petroleum products to multiple African nations is a stinging indictment of the Federal Government’s failure to harness Nigeria’s vast maritime economic potential.
In a strongly-worded policy paper titled ‘Nigeria’s Maritime Wake-Up Call: Stop Watching the Wealth Sail Away’, the Lagos-based research body described the refinery’s export milestone as a “wake-up call” that lays bare the cost of sustained government inaction in a sector brimming with untapped opportunity.
“What the Dangote Refinery has achieved demonstrates what becomes possible when infrastructure, policy alignment and private sector investment are effectively coordinated,” the association stated. “The Federal Government must now ask itself: why has it failed to fully leverage Nigeria’s waters for economic growth?”
The policy paper was signed by MARASSON’s Director of International Trade, Sunday Ademuyiwa, who noted that the refinery has already recorded over 600 vessel calls within its first year of operation — generating employment, boosting marine services and stimulating indigenous shipping activity across the coast.
Ademuyiwa, however, warned that the gains risk being squandered without decisive government action. He pointed to the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy’s National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy, which he described as a framework heavy on promises but light on delivery.
He referenced the Ministry’s commitments at its May 14, 2025 sectoral retreat in Abuja, where officials pledged to realign strategies and drive impactful sector reforms — commitments he said remain largely unfulfilled.
“Policies remain on paper, trade routes are poorly protected, and foreign vessels dominate routes that should belong to Nigerian operators. This inaction undermines our potential and lets opportunities sail away,” Ademuyiwa stated bluntly.
The MARASSON Director specifically flagged the persistent failure to effectively implement the Cabotage regime as a critical obstacle to local participation and economic growth, stressing that without enforcement, Nigerian operators will continue to be sidelined on their own waters while foreign shipping lines consolidate their grip on lucrative coastal routes.
He urged the Federal Government to engage industry professionals more actively, strengthen maritime infrastructure, and enforce policies that protect domestic shipping interests — arguing that the refinery’s expanding operations present a rare and time-sensitive opportunity to deepen West African coastal trade and entrench Nigeria’s role in regional commerce.
“The country stands at a critical juncture,” Ademuyiwa warned. “Swift and deliberate policy implementation will determine whether Nigeria’s maritime potential translates into measurable economic gains — or whether we continue to watch the wealth sail away.”
Waterways News — Lagos | www.waterwaysnews.ng