The Federal Government has announced its intention to upgrade port facilities in order to enhance shipping safety and operational efficiency in Nigeria’s maritime sector, Okay.ng reports.
During the 2024 World Maritime Day, themed, ‘Navigating the Future: Safety First’, which was held in Lagos, Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola emphasized the importance of investing in the sector to bolster capacity and maintain competitiveness in global seaborne trade.
Oyetola speaking through his representative, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Michael Oloruntola, he highlighted the ministry’s focus on embracing emerging technologies, fostering innovation, and implementing digitalization and automation of port operations to improve safety, security, efficiency, and performance optimization.
These upgrades are being financed through public-private partnerships.
The government’s efforts to align policies with global best practices have led to enhanced safety, security, and efficiency in ports, resulting in reduced delays in processing exports and imports.
Additionally, the Nigerian Ports Authority is nearing completion of the deployment of the Port Community System, which will pave the way for the implementation of the National Single Window Project.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Marine Transport, Wasiu Sanni emphasized the importance of national responses to safety imperatives and urged compliance with international safety conventions to position Nigeria as a leading player in the global maritime community.
