Nigeria has renewed its commitment to reclaiming a seat in Category C of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Council, describing it as critical to strengthening the country’s role in global maritime governance.
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, made this known on Thursday in Lagos at the 2025 World Maritime Day celebration, themed “Our Ocean, Our Obligation, Our Opportunity.”
Oyetola explained that Nigeria’s return to the IMO Council would reinforce its capacity to influence maritime decisions globally while positioning the maritime sector as a key driver of economic diversification beyond oil and gas.
He highlighted the government’s bold commitments to ocean stewardship, port modernisation, international cooperation, and harnessing the blue economy to power sustainable growth.
Underscoring the ocean’s critical importance, Oyetola noted that it covers more than 70 per cent of the earth’s surface, generates up to 80 per cent of oxygen, and supports over 80 per cent of global trade.
However, he cautioned that challenges such as climate change, overfishing, pollution, and neglect continue to threaten the ocean’s survival, calling for concerted global and national efforts to safeguard marine resources for future generations.
