Rotimi Amaechi
The
Federal Government of Nigeria has expressed its readiness to
cooperate with sister countries and development bodies to advance
Africa’s prosperity through the safe and sustainable use of the
continent’s vast sea and ocean resources. The Minister of
Transportation, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, made this known in his
speech at the first Sustainable Blue Economy Conference, which
ended in Nairobi on Wednesday.
Amaechi,
who conveyed Nigeria’s statement of commitment to the blue economy
initiative, said its growth was the most viable option for Africa’s
development in the wake of declining mineral and commodity prices. He
said the high level participation in the conference
demonstrated the importance African countries attached to the Blue
Economy and their resolve to use the resources of the seas and oceans
to accelerate economic growth and reduce poverty to its barest
minimum.
The
Minister, who was represented by the Director-General of the Nigerian
Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and Chairman of
the Association of African Maritime Administrations (AAMA), Dr.
Dakuku Peterside, stated, “As a country we are
conscious of our responsibilities and international obligations which
have given rise to our endorsement and domestication of key
International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and other important African
Union continental instruments.
“We
are mindful and highly committed to our responsibilities to protect
our marine environment to ensure that our continent does not become
dumping ground for pollutants which can prevent exploration of
ocean resources.”
Amaechi
highlighted steps taken by the Federal Government to mainstream the
blue economy concept into its Economic Recovery and Growth Plan
(ERGP) to include formulation of a draft
National Transport Policy, which is awaiting approval of the Federal
Executive Council. The policy, according to him, will provide the
platform to implement at the country level the framework for the
protection and sustainable exploitation of Africa’s maritime
domain. The government has also constituted a high-powered committee,
coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Transportation, to formulate
and map out a roadmap to align the Blue Economy regime with the
country’s ERGP, Amaechi said.
Other
steps include the drafting of a dedicated anti-piracy
bill, which is before the National Assembly, to provide the requisite
framework for the fight, prosecution and punishment of piracy and
other related crimes in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea, and approval
for the acquisition of intelligence gathering maritime domain
awareness assets and military response assets to fight pirates and
make Nigeria’s maritime domain safe for economic activities.
Amaechi
said the Federal Government was investing heavily in the development
of new infrastructure, such as deep sea ports and intermodal
transport, to drive growth in the maritime sector. “All
of these actions underscore the importance our government has placed
on the Blue Economy Concept,” he said.
He
assured that Nigeria was fully committed to Africa’s drive to
harness the vast potentials of its maritime domain, saying the
country “will continue to cooperate with sister countries and
developmental bodies to advance the prosperity of the African
continent.”
In
his words, “We pledge our commitment to the overarching
issues of addressing poverty, corruption, trade barriers, and all
those issues that have hindered growth. More particularly,
Nigeria as a country will prioritise the integration of Blue Economy
into our circular economic restoration and growth plan; we will leave
no stone unturned to create limitless opportunities for our people
and lift them out of poverty. This is our resolve as the most viable
option we have for sustainable development is commitment to the Blue
Economy.”
Amaechi
hoped that the conference would build on previous efforts by African
Heads of Government to develop comprehensive and coherent strategies
that address the Blue Economy, such as the African Integrated
Maritime Strategy 2050 (AIMS 2050); African Maritime Transport
Charter; 2016 African Charter on Maritime Safety, Security and
Development (Lome Charter); and “Agenda 2063”, which Nigeria has
signed on to.
The
inaugural Sustainable Blue Economy Conference, which held from
November 26 to 28 in the Kenyan capital, had over 15,000 participants
from around the world. They gathered to discuss how to build a blue
economy that harnesses the potentials of oceans, seas, lakes and
rivers to improve the lives of people, particularly those in
developing countries.
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