Abuja, Nigeria – The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has announced that the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) is set to embark on a comprehensive automation and cargo tracking initiative to enhance the ease of conducting business across Nigeria’s various ports.
Minister Oyetola made this revelation during a meeting in Abuja with Professor Gunter Pauli, a distinguished entrepreneur and sustainability expert, who is currently on a three-day visit to Nigeria. This visit, facilitated by partners in Nigeria, Premium Blue Economy Innovation and Investment, aims to explore opportunities for sustainable economic development.
The minister emphasized the federal government’s commitment to diversify the Nigerian economy beyond the oil sector. He noted that the creation of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy was a deliberate move in this direction.
Oyetola stated, “Again, we are going to be talking of automation of ports to make them more efficient. I would like to tell you that in another two years, it will all change. We are bringing in automation and cargo tracking as we are working on that for implementation.”
Furthermore, the minister expressed the government’s interest in collaborating with relevant stakeholders through public-private partnerships to harness the vast resources of the ocean sector for rapid economic growth. He stressed the importance of job creation, improved livelihoods, and the preservation of the ecosystem.
“Seventy per cent of the resources that are available actually come from the ocean, and we have it in abundance here,” Oyetola highlighted.
He emphasized the government’s commitment to fostering public-private partnerships, stating, “I believe in the Public Private Partnership arrangement. The government will create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive, and our concept in dealing with these is purely in PPP, and I see quite a lot of opportunities there.”
Moreover, Minister Oyetola highlighted the enhanced security of Nigerian waterways, noting that there have been no reported incidents of piracy in the past two years. He encouraged investors to take advantage of these favorable conditions and partner with the newly established Ministry to drive economic development.
“We have sufficient control of our ocean in terms of security, and there has been nothing like piracy in our ocean. So, the fear of investors about the safety of their investments is out of it now,” he affirmed.
In response to the visit, Professor Gunter Pauli expressed his team’s commitment to partnering with the Ministry on commercial and technological innovations and job creation within the sector. He emphasized that this collaboration would attract both foreign and local investments, creating opportunities for Nigerian youths.