news
Just IN : Renewed Hope Agenda, Tinubu Turning maritime industry becomes a key driver of economic growth and sustainable development, Says Oyetola
The President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration has put all necessary efforts, policies, and strategies in place to ensure that the nation’s maritime sectors becomes a key driver of economic growth and sustainable development.
This was in Lagos yesterday, by the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola.
Addressing stakeholders at the World Maritime Day 2024 in Lagos, Oyetola said that his ministry, “in alignment with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is taking proactive measures to enhance the maritime sector by embracing emerging technologies and fostering innovation to drive economic growth.
Key among the initiatives taken by the ministry, Oyetola said, “Is digitalisation and automation of port operations to enhance safety, security, and efficiency as well as a performance optimisation to reduce costs and increase reliability, and the adoption of innovative practices to propel our industry towards sustainable development.”
Oyetola, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Michael Oloruntola said the federal government is making significant strides in the nation’s maritime industry to boost the economy
The administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the minister added, is also “investing heavily in port modernisation to reduce inefficiencies, lower operational costs, and improve safety in our ports. This process is being financed through Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) arrangements.”
The theme of the event is: Navigating the Future, Safety First
The President Tinubu administration, Oyetola added, “Is investing in upgrading our facilities and building capacity to ensure Nigeria remains competitive in the global arena of seaborne trade.”
The Minister said further that, “the theme emphasises the International Maritime Organisation’s dedication to enhancing maritime safety, security, and environmental protection, while also encouraging innovation and technological advancement. This theme presents us with an opportunity to reflect on the strides Nigeria has made in developing its maritime sector, positioning it as a key driver of our national economic growth.
“As we embrace this moment, we must re-examine the safety and security challenges that confront our maritime sector, particularly in the context of new technologies and alternative fuels that aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from ships. To safeguard both shipping safety and operational efficiency, we must invest in upgrading our facilities and building capacity to ensure Nigeria remains competitive in the global arena of seaborne trade.
The year 2024, Oyetola said, “Marks a significant milestone, which is the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the 1974 SOLAS Convention, a crucial International Maritime Organization (IMO) treaty regulating maritime safety. Since the IMO’s founding in 1948, safety has been at the forefront of its mission. Nigeria has consistently worked to align its regulatory framework with IMO standards and other international maritime regulations, reinforcing our commitment to upholding the highest standards of maritime safety.
“Ladies and gentlemen, in alignment with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, the Federal Ministry of Marine & Blue Economy is taking proactive measures to enhance the maritime sector by embracing emerging technologies and fostering innovation to drive growth. Key among the initiatives of the Ministry are digitalization and automation of port operations to enhance safety, security, and efficiency as well as performance optimization to reduce costs and increase reliability, and the adoption of innovative practices to propel our industry towards sustainable development.
As you are aware, “the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR is investing heavily in port modernisation to reduce inefficiencies, lower operational costs, and improve safety in our ports. This process is being financed through Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) arrangements.
The federal government, Oyeyola said, has also made significant progress in creating a conducive environment for port operations by aligning its policies with global best practices.
This, he said, “has enhanced safety, security, and efficiency in our ports, leading to notable reductions in the delays associated with processing exports and imports. However, achieving the world-class standards we aspire to, will require continued support from the private sector, whose collaboration is essential in providing the resources and state-of-the-art facilities needed to take Nigeria’s maritime industry to a higher trajectory.
Oyetola to host deep seabed confab
“Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, achieving safety in our maritime environment is a goal well within reach, but it requires collective effort. With the diverse range of industry players and stakeholders present here today, I am confident that this edition of World Maritime Day will set the stage for a transformative future, one that drives Nigeria’s maritime sector towards unprecedented growth and prosperity,” the Minister said.
In his address, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho said the agency is entrusted with ensuring safety and sustainability.
“This dual focus—on safety and environmental stewardship—reflects the growing recognition of our responsibility to address the environmental challenges that impact the world today, especially those tied to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ships Safety is not only about protecting lives and property but also about safeguarding our environment for future generations.
In navigating the future of maritime trade, the NPA chief said: “It is critical that we integrate safety considerations into how we manage port operations, reduce emissions, and implement sustainable practices. A secure, clean, and efficient port system is central to maintaining the safety and integrity of maritime operations, and at NPA, we are committed to this vision.
The maritime industry, the MD NPA added, “Accounts for roughly 3 percent of global GHG emissions, and as international trade continues to grow, this figure could rise if not addressed.
“For Nigeria, as a coastal and maritime nation, this presents both an environmental and economic risk. Climate change, driven by increased GHG emissions, poses serious threats, including rising sea levels and extreme weather events, which endanger our port infrastructure and surrounding communities. In our efforts to ensure the safety of the environment and maritime operations, we must tackle the issue of GHG emissions head-on. As part of our strategy, we aim to make our ports more environmentally friendly by implementing measures that will reduce carbon footprints across all port activities.”
To address these challenges, he said: “The Nigerian Ports Authority is proud to announce the development of a Port Emissions Inventory. This will be a comprehensive tool to measure and monitor emissions from all port-related activities, including vessels at berth, cargo-handling equipment, and port service vehicles. The emissions inventory will allow us to have a clear and precise understanding of the sources of GHG emissions at our ports.
“By quantifying these emissions, we will be able to develop targeted strategies for reducing them, track our progress, and ensure compliance with both national and international environmental standards. This inventory represents a proactive step in addressing the environmental impacts of port operations while enhancing transparency and accountability in our environmental management practices. In line with international maritime conventions, the Nigerian Ports Authority has taken steps to enhance existing “Port Reception Facilities,” he said.
In his address, the director-general of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dayo Mobereola said safety is crucial in the maritime industry.
He said: “There are many challenges in the maritime industry. These challenges also provide opportunities for tremendous success in the industry. Rapid technology advancement, environmental concerns, sustainability, and involving global trade are some issues affecting the industry.
“While we confront these challenges, we must accord safety an important priority. In this regard, we must, one, invest in cutting-edge safety technologies, two, emphasize training and capacity building for the maritime sector, three, strengthen our regulatory frameworks to meet international standards, and four, foster collaborations between the public and private sectors.”
NMASA, Mobereola said: “Is leading the way to creating a safer and more efficient and sustainable maritime future for Nigeria and beyond.
“As we commemorate this day, I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to each one of you. Your efforts are not just crucial but a trigger to navigating and shaping the Nigerian maritime industry’s future. I extend my thanks to the IMO, safe harbours, maritime industry stakeholders, global maritime communities, ministries, departments, and agencies, our developmental partners, and policymakers who continue to work tirelessly to promote safety values in the industry.
“We need to strengthen collaboration and cooperation to address the increasingly complex regime due to emerging technologies. Your involvement is crucial in this progress. Furthermore, let us renew our dedication to safety, innovation, and responsible stewardship in our maritime environment.
“This commitment is not just a goal but a promise that we must uphold. Together, we can navigate towards a brighter, safer future for our maritime industry. I urge us all to reflect on how far we have come and renew our commitment to making the maritime sector efficient for operation and safer, secure, and more sustainable for future generations,” Mobereola said.
Results from the 30 local government areas in the 2026 Osun State governorship election show that Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party (AP) recorded victories in 19 councils, ahead of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji (AMBO), who won 11 local government areas.
The local government results indicate that Adeleke polled a cumulative 511,067 votes, while Oyebamiji secured 444,815 votes across the state.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Najeem Salaam, garnered 17,180 votes from the 30 local government areas.
Adeleke won Boluwaduro, Ede South, Ife North, Ilesa West, Ifedayo, Ife Central, Orolu, Osogbo, Oriade, Odo-Otin, Ife East, Ifelodun, Iwo, Ede North, Ila, Aiyedire, Egbedore, Aiyedaade and Ejigbo local government areas.
Oyebamiji emerged victorious in Ilesa East, Boripe, Irepodun, Obokun, Atakunmosa West, Irewole, Atakunmosa East, Isokan, Ola Oluwa, Ife South and Olorunda local government areas.
Based on the collated local government results, Adeleke leads with victories in 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while the APC candidate secured 11 councils.
Accord won 19 out of the 30 LGAs: (Boluwaduro, Ede South, Ife North, Ilesa West, Ifedayo, Ife Central, Orolu, Osogbo, Oriade,
Odo-Otin, Ife East, Ifelodun, Iwo, Ede North, Ila, Aiyedire, Egbedore, Aiyedaade, Ejigbo)
APC won the remaining 11 LGAs (Ilesa East, Boripe, Irepodun, Obokun, Atakunmosa West, Irewole, Atakunmosa East, Isokan, Ola Oluwa, Ife South, Olorunda).
Here are the Osun 2026 Governorship Election Results of the 30 LGAs: GeographicReference
Boluwaduro LG
Accord: 7,118 votes
APC: 7,050 votes
ADC: 179 votes
Ede South LG
Accord: 26,188 votes
APC: 6,219 votes
ADC: 390 votes
Ife North LG
Accord: 13,879 votes
APC: 9,613 votes
ADC: 333 votes
Ilesa West LG
Accord: 16,196 votes
APC: 12,756 votes
ADC: 673 votes
Ifedayo LG
Accord: 7,427 votes
APC: 6,836 votes
ADC: 115 votes
Ilesa East LG
APC: 16,208 votes
Accord: 12,280 votes
ADC: 504 votes
Ife Central LG
Accord: 21,171 votes
APC: 15,913 votes
ADC: 747 votes
Boripe LG
APC: 19,963 votes
Accord: 12,448 votes
ADC: 379 votes
Irepodun LG
APC: 15,713 votes
Accord: 14,504 votes
ADC: 249 votes
Obokun LG
APC: 16,120 votes
Accord: 12,023 votes
ADC: 205 votes
Orolu LG
Accord: 12,352 votes
APC: 10,622 votes
ADC: 236 votes
Osogbo LG
Accord: 36,480 votes
APC: 30,474 votes
ADC: 1,503 votes
Oriade LG
Accord: 21,343 votes
APC: 14,863 votes
ADC: 423 votes
Odo-Otin LG
Accord: 18,003 votes
APC: 15,435 votes
ADC: 377 votes
Ife East LG
Accord: 27,201 votes
APC: 18,600 votes
ADC: 935 votes
Ifelodun LG
Accord: 21,107 votes
APC: 18,396 votes
ADC: 509 votes
Atakunmosa West LG
APC: 10,037 votes
Accord: 7,479 votes
ADC: 213 votes
Iwo LG
Accord: 27,085 votes
APC: 19,660 votes
ADC: 588 votes
Ede North LG
Accord: 35,427 votes
APC: 10,283 votes
ADC: 307 votes
Ila LG
Accord: 16,211 votes
APC: 12,934 votes
ADC: 259 votes
Irewole LG
APC: 29,972
Accord: 10,934 votes
ADC: 275 votes
Aiyedire LG
Accord: 11,073 votes
APC: 9,910 votes
ADC: 148 votes
Atakunmosa East LG
Discover more
Nigeria News Subscription
Politics News Updates
Executive Branch
City & Local Guides
Business News Analysis
Nigerian Economic Updates
APC: 9,936
Accord: 7,872 votes
ADC: 333 votes
Egbedore LG
Accord: 19,278 votes
APC: 11,194 votes
ADC: 363 votes
Aiyedaade LG
Accord: 16,681 votes
APC: 15,719 votes
ADC: 331 votes
Isokan LG
APC: 14,063 votes
Accord: 13,765 votes
ADC: 384 votes
Ola Oluwa LG
APC: 10,782 votes
Accord: 10,063 votes
ADC: 213 votes
Ife South
APC: 14,678 votes
Accord: 13,507 votes
ADC: 290 votes
Ejigbo LG
Accord: 18,458 votes
APC: 16,195 votes
ADC: 5,053 votes
Olorunda LG
APC: 24,671 votes
Accord: 23,514 votes
ADC: 666 votes.
President Bola Tinubu has approved a Federal Government delegation led by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, to represent Nigeria at the maiden Nigeria Diaspora Investment Economic Conference in Toronto, Canada.
The delegation includes Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum, Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo, Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang and Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal.
The conference, themed “Invest Nigeria, Thrive Abroad,” is scheduled to hold from August 12 to 15 in Toronto.
The development was announced in a statement issued by Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, on X on Friday.
According to the statement, members of the delegation also include the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole; and Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
Representatives of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Revenue Service, Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission, Nigeria Export Promotion Council and the National Information Technology Development Agency are also expected to participate.
The statement said Canadian officials expected at the conference include President of the Treasury Board of Canada, Shafqat Ali; Ontario Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism, Graham McGregor; Ontario lawmaker Deepak Anand; Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown; Councillor Rod Power; and Ontario Minister of Women and Economic Opportunities, Charmaine Williams.
How to become next Miss Nigeria
Quoting the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NiDCOM, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the statement said, “The calibre of officials attending the conference demonstrates President Tinubu’s commitment to strengthening economic cooperation between Nigeria and Canada through trade, investment and diaspora engagement.”
It further quoted Dabiri-Erewa as saying the event “is more than a conference” and is designed as “an outcome-driven investment platform” that will connect international investors with “investment-ready” opportunities across key sectors of Nigeria’s economy while strengthening bilateral economic relations between the two countries.
According to the statement, the conference is being organised by NiDCOM in collaboration with the Nigerian High Commission in Ottawa, the Canadian High Commission in Abuja and other stakeholders.
It said discussions will focus on agriculture, technology, manufacturing, infrastructure, energy, healthcare and the digital economy.
Newsthumb reports that the Nigeria Diaspora Investment Economic Conference is the first investment-focused forum organised by the Federal Government through NiDCOM to promote economic partnerships between Nigeria and its diaspora community.
According to the World Bank, Nigeria is one of Africa’s largest recipients of diaspora remittances, with annual inflows amounting to billions of dollars.
…says action could undermine public confidence in electoral process
…insists anti-graft agencies must remain independent but avoid actions suggesting political interference
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately take steps to vacate a court order freezing the bank accounts of the Osun State Government, saying the timing of the action, just days before the state’s governorship election, could create the impression of federal interference in the electoral process.
The President said although he respects the constitutional independence of the anti-graft agency and had no prior knowledge of its action, he was compelled to intervene in the overriding public interest to preserve public confidence in the credibility and fairness of Nigeria’s democratic process. NigerianBusiness Coverage
The EFCC had on Wednesday froze the accounts of the Osun State Government, placing a Post No Debit (PND), on its First Bank account, alleging fraudulent handling of N11 billion ecology funds, intervention funds and Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).
However, in a personally signed statement issued from the State House, Abuja, President Tinubu disclosed that the EFCC had obtained the court order on August 5, 2026, freezing the accounts of the Osun State Government.
He said he was “deeply embarrassed” by the timing of the development, explaining that actions taken by federal institutions are often attributed to the President, regardless of whether he authorised them.
“It has come to my notice that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) obtained a court order on August 5, 2026, freezing the accounts of the Osun State Government. I must state that I feel deeply embarrassed not by the EFCC’s exercise of its mandate backed by a court order, but by the timing of the agency’s action.
“This is so because every action taken by an institution of State, especially at the Federal level, is always credited to me, as the President, even when I may not have had any prior knowledge of the action”, the President said.
Tinubu reiterated his long-standing policy of allowing anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies to carry out their statutory responsibilities without political interference, stressing that he had deliberately refrained from directing the operational activities of the EFCC and other investigative bodies since assuming office.
He said, “since assuming office, I have consistently maintained that anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies must be allowed to discharge their statutory responsibilities independently, professionally, without fear or favour, or political interference.
“I have therefore deliberately refrained from directing or interfering in the operational activities of the EFCC or any other investigative or prosecutorial agency because I firmly believe that strong democratic institutions, operating within the confines of the law, are indispensable to democratic good governance and the rule of law”, he said.
The President maintained that institutions established by law should be allowed to exercise their powers independently and without requiring presidential approval for routine operational decisions.
However, he said the circumstances surrounding the EFCC’s action required presidential intervention because of the proximity of the Osun governorship election.
“As President, I am committed to allowing institutions of State to function and take any action they consider necessary in the interest of proper governance without the need for any prior approval. Indeed, that is why institutions are set up by law with clearly defined powers.
“While I am yet to be fully apprised of the facts which informed the action of EFCC in approaching the court to obtain the said order freezing the Osun State Government account, I am not in the slightest doubt that the timing of the action of EFCC is inauspicious, and therefore I feel compelled to intervene”, he said.
The President warned that no action by any federal agency should create the perception that the Federal Government was attempting to influence the outcome of the forthcoming governorship poll.
“Osun State is only a few days away from its gubernatorial election. Therefore, nothing ought to be done to give an impression that the EFCC or indeed any other agency of the federal government is being used to interfere with the election”, he stated.
Tinubu said preserving public confidence in the integrity of the electoral process was paramount, adding that he was duty-bound to act in the national interest.
“Based on the foregoing premise, I am duty-bound to issue a directive on this issue in consonance with the overriding public interest in preserving public confidence and the integrity, credibility, and fairness of our democratic process”, he said.
The President consequently directed the anti-graft agency to immediately reverse its legal action against the Osun State Government.
“Accordingly, I have directed the EFCC to immediately proceed to the court to vacate the order and discontinue whatever action it has instituted against the Osun State Government in this regard”, Tinubu declared.
-
news6 years agoUPDATE: #ENDSARS: CCTV footage of Lekki shootings intact – Says Sanwo – Olu
-
lifestyle6 years agoFormer Miss World: Mixed reactions trail Agbani Darego’s looks
-
health5 years agoChairman Agege LG, Ganiyu Egunjobi Receives Covid-19 Vaccines
-
lifestyle5 years agoObateru: Celebrating a Quintessential PR Man at 60
-
news1 year agoBREAKING: Tinubu swears in new NNPCL Board
-
health6 years agoUPDATE : Nigeria Records 790 new cases of COVID-19
-
entertainment2 years agoAshny Set for Valentine Special and new Album ‘ Femme Fatale’
-
health6 years agoBREAKING: Nigeria confirms 663 new cases of COVID-19