The National Chairman of the Nigeria Institution of Maritime Engineers and Naval Architects (NIMENA), Dr. Eferebo Sylvanus, says Nigeria is losing the chance to unlock over N1 trillion annually from its maritime sector due to heavy reliance on foreign certification and standardisation.
Speaking at the 14th Annual Conference of the Institution in Port Harcourt, themed “Digital Maritime Transformation and Smart Solutions: A Pathway to the Advancement of Nigeria’s Blue Economy,” Sylvanus said the country’s lack of technical sovereignty, poor standardisation, and absence of a clear national policy continue to stunt growth in the blue economy.
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He noted that Nigeria boasts one of the most active maritime environments, driven by oil and gas activities, an extensive coastline, and 10,000 kilometres of inland waterways.
Combined with a young population and abundant technical talent, Sylvanus said the country has more than enough capacity to develop a thriving maritime industry.
However, he lamented that Nigeria still depends on foreign bodies to certify tools, equipment, engineers, and cadets, a situation he described as incompatible with true sovereignty.
According to him, without local capacity to certify and regulate operations, Nigeria will continue missing out on opportunities for wealth creation and job expansion.
Also speaking, the President of the Council for the Registration of Engineers in Nigeria (COREN), Prof. Saddiq Abubakar, said Nigeria’s maritime sector remains constrained by substandard equipment, poor maintenance culture, inadequate shipyards, weak conformity assessments, and fragmented enforcement of engineering standards.
These gaps, he warned, limit operational efficiency, increase costs, and restrict Nigeria’s participation in the global maritime value chain.
