WORLD MARITIME DAY: Lagos Promises To Invest In Water Transportation, Assures Partnership With Maritime Agencies

The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, has pledged his administration’s commitment to partnering with relevant government agencies and institutions to ensure sustainable shipping business in the State.

Speaking on Thursday through the Deputy Governor, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat at an event organised to mark Year 2020 World Maritime Day, he reaffirmed the State Government’s determination to maximizing the potentials in the sector for the benefit of the residents and all stakeholders in the industry, through investments in water transportation.

Commenting on the theme of this year’s World Maritime Day, “Sustainable Shipping for a Sustainable Planet”, the Governor stressed the need to make the shipping process in the country more environmentally friendly, saying “it is also coming at a time when we need to support the maritime industry in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal of eradicating poverty and achieving sustainable development by 2030”.

While noting the significance of the shipping industry globally, Sanwo-Olu stated that the sector has continued to play a major role in the improvement of living standards as well as contributing significantly to taking millions of people around the world out of abject poverty.

He said, “without doubt, the achievement of a sustainable shipping process will be critical to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”.

Sanwo-Olu stated further that with the support of the International Maritime Organisation’s regulatory framework, the shipping industry has already begun the transition towards a sustainable future, as measures have been adopted to cut green gas emissions, reduce ships’ fuel oil and improve the efficiency of shipping through electronic exchange of information to meet the challenges of the digitalisation of the sector.

Describing Nigeria as a major player in the maritime industry, both at continental and global levels, he opined that there is a need for the country to join the train by facilitating the process of actualising the vision of sustainable shipping in the maritime industry.

“At the national level, we need to optimise the potential of the maritime industry by utilising our waterways to transport goods and services from one destination to another locally”, Sanwo-Olu stated.

He, therefore, commended the Federal Government for its plan to begin transportation of containers from Lagos to Onitsha through barges and subsequently to other parts of the country, declaring that “when fully developed and implemented, it will reduce the congestion and accidents on the roads and increase the maritime industry’s contribution to the nation’s Gross Domestic Products”.

In his remarks, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Marine Transport, Senator Muhammed Danjuma Goje commended the International Maritime Organisation for institutionalising the World Maritime Day, a yearly celebration aimed at drawing the attention of the world to the importance of shipping safety, maritime security and the marine environment.

Goje, represented at the event by Senator Tolu Odebiyi, charged participants to take advantage of the celebration to chart a new course for the growth and development of the country and collaborate with the government in its resolve to mitigate the negative impact of the pandemic on the economy.

“The maritime industry is one sector that I believe can assist in cushioning the effect of the pandemic. What we need to do is to properly harness this sector, so that it can ensure a sustainable economy for our nation and other developed nations around the world”, Goje noted.

Also speaking at the event, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire affirmed that a sustainable blue economy will unlock the full economic potentials of the oceans, seas, lakes, rivers and other water resources via investments that involve effective participation of all relevant stakeholders, while protecting the resources for present and future generations and ecosystem resilience.

She explained that the country will immensely benefit through promoting collaboration for sustainable partnerships and projects in the Maritime industry.