Blue Economy
‘Nigeria Could Soon Be Fetching Its Cargo from Neighbouring Countries’ — Jonathan, Bode George Sound Alarm at Landmark Deep Sea Port Forum
‘Nigeria Could Soon Be Fetching Its Cargo from Neighbouring Countries’ — Jonathan, Bode George Sound Alarm at Landmark Deep Sea Port Forum
By Raymond Gold, Co-publisher and Research Reporter, Waterways News
Nigeria’s maritime future came under sharp scrutiny on Monday in Lagos as former President Goodluck Jonathan, retired Lagos politician and ex-Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Chairman Chief Bode George, and a constellation of industry heavyweights converged at the inaugural International Deep Sea Investment Forum (IDSIF) to deliver an urgent message: act now on deep sea ports, or risk watching Nigerian cargo reroute through the ports of neighbouring countries.
The forum, convened by Elder Asu Beks through his Maritime Media Limited platform, held at the Oriental Hotel in Victoria Island, drawing former heads of state, sitting commissioners, port administrators, and sector leaders into a pointed conversation about the state of Nigeria’s port infrastructure, hinterland connectivity, and the regulatory gaps that continue to hamstring investment.
Jonathan, who received an award at the event, anchored his remarks in a sobering historical lesson — the slow death of the Nigerian Shipping Line. He traced its collapse to a failure to respond when global shipping was migrating to containerisation, noting that the Line’s leadership invested in outdated vessels rather than adapting to where the industry was heading. The lesson, he argued, is directly applicable today.
The former president warned that Nigeria could wake up one day to find no ships calling at its ports, leaving the country with no option but to move goods overland from Cotonou, Lomé, or other regional hubs. He called for the next edition of the forum to graduate from discussion to action — convening coastal states, commercial banks, and project developers around bankable investment proposals.
Chief Bode George, who chaired the occasion, was equally blunt. A veteran seafarer and former NPA helmsman, he challenged the concentration of all critical port infrastructure in Lagos, invoking the ongoing crisis at the Strait of Hormuz as a reminder that no strategic asset should be housed in a single location. He pressed the Federal Government to extend the port rehabilitation financing secured during President Bola Tinubu’s recent visit to the United Kingdom beyond Lagos, and called on the President to sign the Nigerian Ports and Harbour Economic Regulatory Authority (NPERA) Bill, which has languished on the executive table.
Representing the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, NPA’s General Manager for Corporate and Strategic Planning, Mr Seyi Iyawe, outlined the government’s green port agenda — structured around digital automation, hinterland connectivity, and sustainable development. He pointed to the Lekki Deep Seaport as a template and cited the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as the commercial engine that should be driving Nigeria’s port modernisation.
Former NPA Managing Director Bello Gwandu offered a note of caution, arguing that the country’s priority should be building well-connected international ports rather than deep sea facilities that could sit underutilised without adequate road and rail linkages to move cargo inland.
Former Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Managing Director Timi Alaibe delivered a message of urgency around the Gulf of Guinea, calling on both government and private investors to move from planning to concrete action in a region he described as strategically vital to investor confidence.
Bayelsa State used the platform to make a formal pitch for the proposed Agge Deep Seaport. State Commissioner for Marine and Blue Economy Dr Faith Zibs, representing Governor Douye Diri, described Bayelsa’s 120-kilometre coastline and navigable waterways as natural advantages that position the project as a potential hub for both Nigeria and the wider sub-region.
In his welcome address, convener Asu Beks — a prominent figure in Nigeria’s maritime media space — said the IDSIF concept had been years in gestation and was born out of frustration at the country’s continued failure to develop adequate deep sea capacity. He also appealed to President Tinubu to sign the NPERA Bill, noting that empowering the Nigerian Shippers’ Council as economic regulator remained critical. Acknowledging the administration’s establishment of the Marine and Blue Economy ministry, he nonetheless pressed for the sector to be given the full authority it needs to function — using the analogy: “When you give me a vehicle, you have to release the key to me.”
The event also featured the presentation of recognition awards to former President Jonathan and former Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) President Prince Olayiwola Shittu, among other distinguished industry figures.
Waterways News | Lagos