BOAN Greets Stakeholders  Happy New Year , Commends Tinubu Over  Marine/Blue Economy Creation

Barge Operators Association of Nigeria (BOAN)  has expressed heartfelt wishes for the New Year with maritime stakeholders, wishing all relevant institutions in the sector a blissful 2024.

BOAN in a statement by his President, Olubunmi Olumekun on the  1st of January 2024, wishes all Nigerians and all port stakeholders – Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Nigeria Customs Service, members of Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN), Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria MWUN and others, a happy New Year .

Olumekun stated that “The year 2023 was a watershed in the growth of port (maritime) industry in Nigeria. It was a year that the Federal Government under the dynamic President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, created the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy for the industry, to harness its economic potentials in full for the overall growth of the nation.

The President called on the federal government to address the numerous challenges bedeviling the industry adding that the maritime sector has the capability to generate the needed revenue and massive job creation.

He pointed out that: “As barge Operators, we again commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR for creating the ministry and for appointing His Excellency Adegboyega Oyetola, as the pioneer Minister. We have an abiding belief in the capacity of the Minister to achieve the goals and objectives of the Ministry

He further described barging, as a critical component of the blue economy, in the outgone year 2023, adding that it contributed phenomenally to the development and growth of the industry.

” It is a subsector that its input –  movement of cargo in and out of the port – can’t be underestimated. We faced a lot of operational challenges in 2023, and as we speak, all these challenges, known to the NPA, are yet to be resolved by the concerned authorities as they are hindering our successes.

“Our subsector is capable of generating revenue running into several billions of Naira and multiple job opportunities; it deserves adequate attention of the NPA and the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.

“For us to discharge and perform our operations effectively in 2024, we are calling on the Managing Director of NPA, Mohammed Bello Koko, and the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, to kindly address all our challenges.

“On our part, we are ready to collaborate with all identified key port stakeholders in 2024 to grow the industry.

“Again, we wish everyone a happy and prosperous year 2024. ” he said.