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OYETOLA, OMATSEYE, AKABOGU HEADLINE NNMJ UNITY CONFERENCE IN LAGOS
By Prince Benson Davies
Lagos is set to host a major gathering of maritime stakeholders as the Network of Nigeria Maritime Journalists (NNMJ) holds its Unity Conference on Friday, November 13, 2026, at the Airport Hotel, Ikeja.
The conference will be headlined by the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, His Excellency Adegboyega Oyetola, who will attend as Special Guest of Honour; former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Barrister Temisan Omatseye, who will chair the proceedings; and renowned maritime lawyer, Barrister Emeka Akabogu, SAN, who will deliver the keynote address.
Also confirmed to attend are former Minister of Interior, Hon. Emmanuel Ihenacho; Senator Wasiu Eshilokun; former President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Dr. Eugene Nweke; and Dr. Kayode Farinto, alongside other prominent personalities from the maritime industry and political landscape.
The Unity Conference, themed “Seaport Modernisation, Trade Facilitation and Revenue,” is designed to bring together policymakers, heads of maritime agencies, industry leaders, legal practitioners, freight forwarders and other critical stakeholders for robust deliberations on the future of Nigeria’s maritime sector.
Scheduled to commence at 11:00 a.m., the event will provide an in-depth assessment of the performance, policy direction and operational efficiency of the maritime sector under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Discussions will centre on ongoing reforms, infrastructure development and the strategic interventions needed to strengthen the industry’s contribution to national economic growth.
Key issues on the agenda include seaport modernisation, rehabilitation and renewal of critical port infrastructure, trade facilitation, ease of doing business, revenue optimisation and strategies for identifying and eliminating financial leakages across the maritime value chain.
Participants will also explore opportunities for expanding Nigeria’s marine and blue economy, generating employment, strengthening maritime safety and security, and enhancing the competitiveness of the nation’s seaports.
The conference is expected to attract heads of government agencies, managing directors of shipping companies, terminal operators, freight forwarders, licensed customs agents and other influential stakeholders across the industry.
In a joint statement, NNMJ Chairman, Elder Dele Aderibigbe, and the organisation’s Public Relations Officer, Jerry Aguigbo, said the Unity Conference was conceived to promote informed dialogue, deepen stakeholder collaboration and generate practical recommendations for addressing the challenges confronting the maritime industry.
They explained that the event would offer stakeholders an opportunity to evaluate existing government policies and reforms, identify implementation gaps and recommend sustainable solutions to improve port operations, facilitate legitimate trade, increase government revenue and unlock the vast economic potential of Nigeria’s maritime sector.
The statement further underscored the strategic importance of maritime journalism in promoting transparency and accountability, providing credible industry analysis and sustaining informed public discourse on government policies, regulatory interventions and reforms affecting the marine and blue economy.
