Blue Economy
GULF OF GUINEA UNDER THREAT: Oyetola Presses EU for Deeper Commitment as Illegal Fishing, Drug Trafficking and Environmental Crimes Surge
GULF OF GUINEA UNDER THREAT: Oyetola Presses EU for Deeper Commitment as Illegal Fishing, Drug Trafficking and Environmental Crimes Surge
By Emetena Ikuku, News Correspondent, Lagos
Nigeria’s Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola, has issued a forceful call for the European Union to significantly deepen its engagement in combating the rising tide of maritime crimes threatening the Gulf of Guinea — one of the world’s most strategically vital and increasingly imperilled stretches of ocean.
The Minister made this appeal on Thursday in Abuja when he received a high-level delegation from the European Union Evaluation Mission on the Gulf of Guinea Inter-regional Network, the GoGIN II Project — an EU-funded initiative designed to strengthen maritime governance and security cooperation across the region.
Speaking with unmistakable urgency, Dr. Oyetola told the delegation that the nature of threats facing the Gulf of Guinea has evolved far beyond what any single nation can effectively manage alone. He argued that illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, human trafficking, drug smuggling and deliberate environmental crimes — particularly oil theft and illegal bunkering — now demand a broader, more integrated and sustained response anchored on robust international partnerships.
“The challenges we face in the Gulf of Guinea are no longer isolated incidents. They are organised, transnational, and increasingly sophisticated,” Dr. Oyetola told the EU delegation. “Nigeria expects a more active, more committed European Union presence — not merely in funding, but in intelligence-sharing, capacity building and coordinated enforcement.”
The Gulf of Guinea, which stretches along the West and Central African coastline, accounts for a significant portion of global oil exports and is one of Africa’s richest marine ecosystems. Yet for years it has also ranked among the world’s most dangerous maritime corridors. According to the International Maritime Bureau, the region continues to record incidents of piracy, crew kidnappings, and armed robbery at sea, while illegal fishing by foreign trawlers — many operating with forged documents — has devastated fish stocks that millions of coastal communities across Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Benin and beyond depend on for their livelihoods.
Dr. Oyetola’s intervention carries considerable weight. Since his appointment as Minister, he has consistently championed Nigeria’s ambition to become the dominant maritime power in West and Central Africa, leveraging the country’s geographic position, its extensive coastline, and the enormous untapped potential of its blue economy — a sector the Federal Government estimates could contribute hundreds of billions of naira annually to national revenue if properly secured and developed.
The minister noted that the GoGIN II Project, while commendable, must be matched by political will and measurable on-the-ground action if it is to translate into lasting security for the region. He called on the EU to move beyond evaluation and assessment cycles and commit to concrete, implementable frameworks that give regional agencies — including Nigeria’s own maritime bodies such as NIMASA, the Nigerian Navy, and the Nigerian Maritime Administration — the tools, training and intelligence infrastructure required to respond effectively to fast-evolving threats.
Oyetola also raised the spectre of environmental crimes, an area he said is often underreported but enormously damaging to Nigeria’s coastline and the broader Gulf ecosystem. Illegal oil bunkering, he noted, not only robs Nigeria of billions in petroleum revenues annually but also causes catastrophic damage to mangroves, wetlands and fishing grounds that sustain entire communities across the Niger Delta.
The EU delegation, for its part, expressed the European Union’s continued commitment to maritime stability in the Gulf of Guinea, describing the GoGIN II framework as a reflection of the EU’s long-term strategic interest in a secure, well-governed and economically productive Atlantic corridor. The delegation acknowledged the minister’s concerns and indicated that the outcomes of their evaluation mission would inform the EU’s next steps in strengthening the programme.
For Nigeria, the stakes could not be higher. The country’s expansive coastline and its position as Africa’s largest oil producer make the security of Gulf of Guinea waters a matter of national economic survival. Experts say that for every barrel of crude stolen through illegal bunkering or every tonne of fish plundered by unlicensed foreign vessels, Nigeria loses not only immediate revenue but long-term investor confidence in its maritime sector.
As the meeting concluded, Dr. Oyetola reaffirmed Nigeria’s readiness to lead — but made clear that effective leadership in a region as complex and contested as the Gulf of Guinea cannot be sustained without committed, resourced and principled international allies. The message to the European Union was direct: the time for stronger action is now.
Waterways News | Maritime | Blue Economy | Security & Safety
NIMASA Receives Over 60 CVFF Applications, Vows Open and Accountable Disbursement
By Okeoghene Onoriobe | Waterways News Correspondent | Lagos
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has disclosed that it has received more than 60 applications for the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF), a development that signals fresh momentum in the push to strengthen indigenous participation in Nigeria’s shipping sector.
The agency equally assured stakeholders that the disbursement of the fund would be handled transparently, with strict accountability measures guiding every step of the process.
The disclosure came on Thursday in Lagos, during the signing of the 2026 Performance Bond between NIMASA’s Director-General, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, and the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola.
At the event, Minister Oyetola left no room for ambiguity, issuing a pointed directive to heads of agencies under his ministry to focus on results and shun complacency.
“Let me emphasise that all Departments and Agencies under the Ministry must remain firmly focused on delivering tangible results,” the Minister stated.
He further stressed that the performance bonds carry real weight, describing them as binding commitments subject to close monitoring and rigorous evaluation — not documents to be signed and shelved.
“These are not ceremonial documents. They are binding commitments. Accountability will not be optional,” Oyetola declared.
Speaking after the signing, Director-General Mobereola said the reforms being pursued at NIMASA are deliberate and are being driven with strong backing from the Ministry, adding that the agency remains firmly aligned with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
On maritime security, Mobereola highlighted a landmark achievement: Nigeria has recorded zero piracy incidents in its territorial waters over the past four years. He attributed this record to enhanced surveillance systems and improved collaboration among security agencies.
The NIMASA chief also announced that the agency is close to completing the automation of its ship registry processes — a reform expected to eliminate administrative delays, speed up turnaround times, and sharpen Nigeria’s competitiveness in the global maritime industry.
Additionally, Mobereola noted that Nigeria has deposited three maritime conventions with the International Maritime Organization (IMO), with three more pending Federal Executive Council approval. He also highlighted Nigeria’s re-election into Category C of the IMO Council in November 2025 as a milestone that restores the country’s standing in global maritime governance and reinforces its leadership role on the African continent.
Waterways News | www.waterwaysnews.ng
Oyetola Orders NSC Probe into Alleged Plot to Squeeze Out Local Barge OperatorsÂ
Minister vows zero tolerance for anti-competitive behaviour as indigenous operators cry foul over foreign interference at Nigerian seaports
By Oghenewoke Onoriode|Waterways News Correspondent, LAGOS
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr Adegboyega Oyetola, has ordered the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) to investigate allegations that a coordinated effort is underway to push indigenous barge operators out of Nigeria’s seaport logistics chain.
The directive came during the 2026 First Quarter Citizens/Stakeholders’ Engagement, Sectoral Performance Review, and Ministerial Management Retreat of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, held in Lagos on Thursday.
Operators Raise the Alarm
Representatives of local barge operators used the platform to allege that certain foreign interests are engaged in a deliberate campaign to undermine their operations. They told the Minister that policies, operational bottlenecks, and preferential treatment allegedly extended to foreign-linked entities by some terminal operators are tilting the competitive landscape against Nigerian businesses.
The operators warned that if left unaddressed, the situation could erode local capacity and destabilise Nigeria’s maritime logistics ecosystem.
NSC Given the Mandate
Responding to the allegations, Dr Oyetola reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to protecting local investments and ensuring a level playing field in the maritime sector. He directed the NSC — in its capacity as port economic regulator — to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into the claims.
The Minister was unequivocal: any anti-competitive behaviour or policy inconsistency that disadvantages Nigerian businesses would not be tolerated.
Engagement as Policy Tool
Dr Oyetola also used the occasion to underscore the importance of regular stakeholder engagement in driving effective sectoral governance. He noted that the government remains firmly focused on developing the marine and blue economy as a pillar of national growth, employment generation, and sustainable development.
Nigeria Watch
The allegations against terminal operators echo long-standing concerns in the Nigerian maritime industry about the marginalisation of indigenous players in port operations. Local barge operators form a critical link in Nigeria’s cargo evacuation chain — particularly at Apapa and Tin Can Island ports — and their displacement would deepen the country’s dependence on foreign logistics providers.
The NSC’s mandate as port economic regulator makes it the appropriate body to probe these claims. However, the effectiveness of the investigation will depend on the Council’s willingness to act on its findings — including, where necessary, imposing sanctions on terminal operators found to have violated fair competition principles.
For the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Thursday’s engagement signals a more assertive posture on indigenous content in maritime logistics — one that stakeholders will be watching closely.
Waterways News — Covering Nigeria’s Maritime, Shipping and Blue Economy Sector
Blue Economy
Tinubu Approves Cargo Tracking Scheme That Could Save Nigeria N900bn in Lost Import Revenue
Tinubu Approves Cargo Tracking Scheme That Could Save Nigeria N900bn in Lost Import Revenue
Presidential approval secured for ICTN as Nigerian Shippers’ Council begins procurement; scheme expected to go live before year-end
By Emetena Ikuku, Lagos
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the full implementation of the International Cargo Tracking Note (ICTN), a flagship initiative of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) designed to plug revenue leakages in the country’s import trade and strengthen regulatory oversight of inbound cargo.
The approval, confirmed at a stakeholders’ engagement convened by the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy in Lagos, ends months of uncertainty over the scheme’s future and sets the stage for what industry analysts say could be one of the most consequential reforms in Nigeria’s maritime sector in recent years.
What the ICTN Does
The ICTN is a real-time, online cargo tracking system that monitors the movement of inbound shipments from origin to destination. Beyond logistics visibility, it is designed to function as an economic intelligence tool — capturing import data that can be used to close gaps in revenue declaration and combat under-invoicing.
Industry projections suggest the system could help Nigeria recover up to N900 billion annually in import revenue currently lost to leakages — a figure that underscores the commercial stakes of getting the rollout right.
Procurement Underway
Pius Akutah, Executive Secretary and CEO of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, confirmed to stakeholders that presidential approval had been secured and that procurement processes were already in motion. He expressed confidence that the ICTN would become operational before the end of the year.
Akutah acknowledged that previous implementation attempts had been suspended due to unresolved operational challenges, but said the Council had drawn lessons from those setbacks.
He noted that the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, is personally committed to ensuring a seamless rollout, with the ministry taking deliberate steps to resolve all outstanding issues before the scheme goes live.
Nigeria Watch
The ICTN revival is significant beyond its revenue implications. For years, Nigerian freight forwarders, cargo agents, and port operators have operated in an environment where cargo data is fragmented and often unreliable — creating fertile ground for manifest fraud, valuation disputes, and customs evasion.
A fully operational ICTN would give the NSC, the Nigeria Customs Service, and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) access to a unified cargo data stream, potentially transforming how import risk is assessed at Apapa, Tin Can Island, and the emerging Lekki Deep Sea Port.
For the broader blue economy agenda being championed by Minister Oyetola, real-time cargo intelligence also supports Nigeria’s ambitions to position its ports as West Africa’s premier logistics hub — a goal that requires the kind of regulatory credibility the ICTN is designed to provide.
Stakeholders will be watching the procurement timeline closely. The scheme has been suspended before, and the maritime industry’s confidence in its delivery will depend on whether the ministry can demonstrate tangible progress before the year runs out.
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