Nigeria has officially regained a position on the Council of the International Maritime Organisation for the 2026 to 2027 governance cycle, a milestone President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has described as a major sign of global recognition for the country’s renewed maritime ambitions. Okay News reports.
The International Maritime Organisation, headquartered in London in the United Kingdom, is the specialised United Nations agency responsible for regulating global shipping, maritime safety, marine environmental protection, and standards for international navigation. Nigeria secured re-election into Category C during the organisation’s General Assembly held on Friday, November 28, marking the country’s first return to the council in fourteen years.
In a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu praised the outcome, describing it as “a strong affirmation of the country’s growing maritime influence and its constructive role in global shipping governance.”
The President noted that the result “reflects the international community’s confidence in the nation’s commitment to safety, security, environmental stewardship, and rules-based maritime operations.”
President Tinubu commended the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, along with the ministry’s staff, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, and Nigeria’s diplomatic team for what he described as strategic coordination and sustained diplomatic outreach that shaped the successful re-election bid.
He emphasised that Nigeria’s renewed presence on the council aligns directly with his administration’s plan to unlock opportunities within the nation’s blue economy, expand maritime infrastructure, and strengthen anti-piracy frameworks across the Gulf of Guinea, a region that has historically been a critical but vulnerable international shipping corridor.
According to him, “The new International Maritime Organisation Council mandate aligns with my administration’s drive to unlock the full potential of Nigeria’s blue economy, expand maritime infrastructure, strengthen anti-piracy initiatives, and improve the nation’s standing as a regional shipping hub.”
President Tinubu also assured global partners that Nigeria would work collaboratively to promote “safer seas, cleaner oceans, more efficient maritime transport systems, and to champion cooperation, innovation, and fairness in global maritime regulation.”
He further thanked member states for their confidence in the country, pledging that “Nigeria will justify the trust reposed in it through sustained leadership and active contribution to the advancement of international maritime objectives.”
By securing this position, Nigeria now joins nineteen other nations in Category C, a classification reserved for countries with significant maritime interests that contribute to global transport, trade, and navigation.
Experts believe that the return will boost Nigeria’s international maritime reputation, deepen foreign partnerships, attract investment into the marine and blue economy sector, and position the country more competitively in continental and global maritime discussions.
Reflecting on the victory, Minister Adegboyega Oyetola described the development as “a landmark endorsement of the renewed confidence the world has in Nigeria under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” adding that it was the result of over twelve months of targeted diplomatic engagements.
“We have earned the world’s confidence. Now we must deepen our reforms, strengthen our institutions, and ensure that Nigeria takes its rightful place as a leading maritime nation,” he stated.
