The Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Mr. Arsenio Dom\u00ednguez, has commended Nigeria\u2019s strides in maritime security and sustainable ocean governance during his official visit to the country. Speaking in Abuja, Mr. Dom\u00ednguez praised Nigeria\u2019s achievement of zero piracy incidents over the past three years and hailed the Deep Blue Project as a benchmark for regional collaboration in the Gulf of Guinea.<\/p>\n
During a courtesy visit to the Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, His Excellency Adegboyega Oyetola, CON, Mr. Dom\u00ednguez acknowledged Nigeria\u2019s strategic investments in maritime safety infrastructure and the effective coordination among security agencies, particularly the Nigerian Navy. He emphasized that these efforts reflect Nigeria\u2019s leadership in promoting safer seas across West and Central Africa.<\/p>\n
The IMO chief also recognized Nigeria\u2019s recent submission to the organization detailing its national and regional security frameworks. While applauding the progress, he called for sustained investment in modern equipment and infrastructure, reaffirming IMO\u2019s commitment to supporting Nigeria through technical assistance, training, and capacity-building programs.<\/p>\n
Highlighting upcoming initiatives, Mr. Dom\u00ednguez announced a regional conference in Ghana on the Safe Seas Project and ongoing discussions with the European Union to launch a new maritime governance program focused on port security. He also referenced two regional projects in Southern and Western Africa, which will be monitored using defined performance indicators.<\/p>\n
Beyond security, Mr. Dom\u00ednguez urged nations to prepare for global maritime challenges such as energy transition, biofuel adoption, and financing mechanisms to support seafarer training and infrastructure development.<\/p>\n
He lauded Nigeria\u2019s Blue Economy Policy as a visionary framework for sustainable marine resource management and expressed admiration for the Maritime Academy of Nigeria in Oron, particularly its advanced training facilities. He encouraged stronger collaboration between the academy, the Ministry of Education, and industry stakeholders to guide youth into maritime careers.<\/p>\n
In his remarks, Minister Oyetola welcomed the IMO chief\u2019s visit as a testament to Nigeria\u2019s strong partnership with the global maritime body. He reiterated Nigeria\u2019s commitment to consolidating recent security gains and expanding opportunities within the marine and blue economy sectors.<\/p>\n
Presentations were delivered by top government officials and key stakeholders. Dr. Dayo Mobereola, Director-General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), who outlined reforms in maritime security, seafarer welfare, and regulatory frameworks aimed at positioning Nigeria as a leading maritime nation. Dr. Kevin Okonna, Acting Rector of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, showcased the academy\u2019s simulator-based training and international exchange programs. The Managing Director of Lekki Free Trade Zone,
\n Mr. Wang Qiang, highlighted the port\u2019s role in enhancing cargo capacity, job creation, and foreign investment.<\/p>\n
Mr. Dom\u00ednguez also engaged with cadets at the Maritime Academy, encouraging them to explore emerging opportunities in green shipping, renewable energy, and maritime technology. He reaffirmed IMO\u2019s dedication to working with Nigeria to strengthen maritime safety, governance, and the sustainable growth of the blue economy, stating that Nigeria\u2019s achievements serve as a model of excellence for Africa and beyond.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Mr. Arsenio Dom\u00ednguez, has commended Nigeria\u2019s strides in maritime security and sustainable ocean governance during his official visit to the country. Speaking in Abuja, Mr. Dom\u00ednguez praised Nigeria\u2019s achievement of zero piracy incidents over the past three years and hailed the Deep Blue Project as a benchmark […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8719,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8718","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-maritime-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/peoplesforumonline.com.ng\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8718","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/peoplesforumonline.com.ng\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/peoplesforumonline.com.ng\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peoplesforumonline.com.ng\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peoplesforumonline.com.ng\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8718"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/peoplesforumonline.com.ng\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8718\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8720,"href":"https:\/\/peoplesforumonline.com.ng\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8718\/revisions\/8720"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peoplesforumonline.com.ng\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8719"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/peoplesforumonline.com.ng\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8718"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peoplesforumonline.com.ng\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8718"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peoplesforumonline.com.ng\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8718"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}