The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with the South-South Development Commission (SSDC) to advance the completion of deep seaports, promote marine resource development, and boost job creation in the South-South region.
Oyetola gave the assurance on Tuesday when he received the Managing Director of SSDC, Ms. Usoro Akpabio, and her team in Abuja. The meeting focused on aligning federal and regional priorities for sustainable maritime growth and economic transformation across the coastal states.
Ms. Akpabio commended the Minister’s leadership and the Ministry’s ongoing reforms, describing them as “repositioning the marine and blue economy as a new driver of national GDP growth.” She praised the Ministry’s efforts in improving port operations, logistics, and maritime governance, which, she said, were fostering trade facilitation, transparency, and investor confidence.
According to her, “The South-South is Nigeria’s natural maritime corridor, rich in fisheries, oil and gas infrastructure, inland waterways, and coastal tourism potential. The SSDC stands ready to partner with the Ministry to implement blue economy projects that will translate policy into measurable impact.”
She urged the Federal Government to prioritise the completion of key projects such as the Ibom, Bonny, Bakassi, and Agge Deep Seaports, and to establish additional dry ports and inland container depots in strategic cities to ease port congestion and enhance trade.
On human capital development, Akpabio stressed the importance of empowering the region’s youth through technical and vocational training in shipbuilding, aquaculture, maritime logistics, and port management, noting that a thriving blue economy would “create thousands of jobs, expand non-oil exports, and stimulate local enterprise growth.”
To ensure practical implementation, she proposed the establishment of a Joint Technical Working Group between the Ministry and SSDC and announced plans for engagement with agencies such as the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), and the Department of Fisheries.
Responding, Oyetola commended the SSDC’s proactive approach and affirmed the strategic importance of the South-South to Nigeria’s blue economy. “Your visit underscores the region’s readiness to harness its maritime potential. The presence of institutions such as the Maritime Academy, Oron, and All States Maritime Academy, Otokutu, demonstrates that maritime excellence thrives in the South-South,” he said.
He, however, advised the Commission to maintain its regional focus and operate within its statutory mandate to prevent duplication of federal responsibilities. “Once the lines of engagement are clearly defined, our collaboration will be seamless and impactful,” he added.
The Minister also lauded the SSDC for being the first regional commission to visit the Ministry, assuring that the Federal Government remains open to sustained partnerships in port infrastructure, fisheries, maritime training, and investment facilitation within the blue economy space.
