League of Maritime Editors Sets 2026 Agenda for Blue Economy Ministry
By Ovie Edomi
The League of Maritime Editors, a coalition of senior industry journalists, recently set agenda for acceleration of development and growth Nigeria’s marine and blue economy.
The League of Maritime Editors, a group of seasoned journalists drew up agenda aimed at supporting the industry’s 2026 growth trajectory for the ministry of marine and blue economy noting progress, expose bottlenecks, and profered solutions that can ensure sustainability as well as public accountability.
In a statement signed by the President, Mrs Remi Itie, Secretary General, Felix Kumuyi and Public Relations Officer, Francis Ugwoke, they emphasised that Nigeria’s maritime sector has what it takes to become the cornerstone of national GDP, in the aabsence of the oil and gas sector.
The maritime editors further emphasised that the scale of reforms implemented in the last two years as well as the amplification of key performance indicators, show that marine and blue economy need to do more to drive and sustain the national growth agenda for the ministry of marine and blue economy just like other maritime nations.
According to the League, existing official statistics on capacity development programmes and aggregate growth indices, aligned with development blueprints and policy frameworks of the past two years, indicate that 2026 can serve as a turning point in Nigeria’s search for economic stability and sustainable growth.
Furthermore, the League stressed that the functions and mandates of government agencies in the sector including the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), and the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarders of Nigeria (CRFFN), must be supported to become more responsive and accountable.
As key stakeholders in the Nigerian project, the League aalso demanded for proper alignment of policies with measurable actions, and asked the media as watchdog of the society to be willing to track in a dependable and sustainable manner the progress made from time to time while building trust and progress. This the League noted will enable every government agencies in the marine and blue economy to be committed to making 2026 a year of strategic turnaround for higher yields and economic prosperity. Specifically the league noted:
The Nigerian Ports Authority must focus on port modernization and green port investments.
The Nigeria Customs Service is expected to make the National Single Window project operational in real time, visibly driving trade facilitation.
NIMASA should prioritize safety, security, and the implementation of IMO conventions.
The Nigerian Shippers’ Council must emphasize economic regulation and tariff transparency.
NIWA should enhance operational safety to reduce boat mishaps and casualties, while advancing dredging, monitoring, and compliance.
The Maritime Academy of Nigeria must improve training quality and global relevance.
The CRFFN must reinvent its relevance, earn stakeholder trust, and strengthen its core mandate with regards to achieving professional standards and capacity building. Focus should also shift to Forwarders 2.0, with tracking of CPD hours, certifications, and compliance audits.
As a responsible professional group, the League reaffirmed its commitment to partnerships that promote value addition through reliable reportage and a sustainable outlook that guarantees stakeholder confidence, both at home and overseas.
In light of its social contract as media practitioners, the League expressed determination to uphold the trust reposed in it, not only by providing accurate reports that support development initiatives, but also by delivering balanced and objective industry analysis capable of driving critical economic growth appraisals through appropriate forums and dialogue.
Shortly after the League of Maritime Editors set the agenda, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, flagged off the process for the disbursement of the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund(CVFF) 23 years after the fund was established.
The Minister officially launched and unveiled the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF) Application Portal, marking a historic step in Nigeria’s long-awaited journey to operationalise structured financing for indigenous ship ownership.
How the agenda set by the League of maritime editors will be followed by the Ministry of marine and blue economy as well as the agencies under it remains to be seen. Time will tell.