By Seun Ibiyemi
All is set for the 3rd edition of the African Marine Environment Sustainable Initiative (AFMESI) as Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio and the Minister of State for Transportation, Distinguished Senator Gbemisola Saraki will lead maritime stakeholders and industry experts to the 3rd edition of the summit this week.
Akpabio will be the Chairman of the Day, while Saraki will be the keynote speaker in the event.
The event themed: “African Blue World: Which Way To Go?” has the Chairman, House Committee on Maritime and Education, Honourable Linda Ikpeazu as the Special Guest of Honour; the Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh as the Chief Host; and the Chairman of Starz Group, Engr. Greg Ogbeifun is slated as a Guest of Honour.
According to the Founder of AFMESI, Dr. Felicia Chinwe Mogo, the one-day event would feature several pertinent maritime topics such as; Impact Of Security And Piracy in Maritime Business; Integrated Ocean Management, Science And Governance; Ocean Science And Governance In Marine Environment; Accounting For The Values And Wealth Of The Maritime; and Africa’s position within various ocean-related international laws (int’l).
The topics would be discussed by high profile panelists, including; Dr. Pierre Failer, a professor of Economics at the University of Portsmouth, United Kingdom and Director, Centre for Blue Governance; Prof. Susan Kholeif, a Marine Geologist, Oceanographer and Ecologist at the National Institute of Oceanography & Fisheries, Egypt; Prof. Rasheed Sumaila, Professor, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries Economics Research Unit, Ocean Canada Partnership; Maj-Gen. India Garba (Rtd), a trained Combatant, Strategist Logistician, Administrator and Member of AFMESI Advisory Board; Prof. Kelly Hoareau, Director, Blue Economy Research Institute,Seychelles.
Others include; The Kenyan High Commissioner to Nigeria, His Excellency Wilfred Machage; Nigeria’s Co-Champion for AfCFTA on Transportation, Madam Funmi Folorunsho. the President of African Women in Maritime (WIMAFRICA) and Principal Counsel, Jean-Chiazor&Co (Ofianyi Chambers), Barr. Jean-Chiazor Anishere (SAN);
In its previous annual conferences, AFMESI, a non-profit organization, availed the maritime sector robust platforms for holistic deliberations on sustainable approaches in managing the nation’s marine environment for optimum value.
Recall that at the last event the Nigerian government and other African nations were urged to address the menace of plastic pollution on the marine environment from the producing companies.
Mogo, who retired as the Director of Marine Environment Management (MEM) at NIMASA, is a seasoned technocrat with over three decades experience in the Nigerian public sector, having started as one of the pioneer staff of the then Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA) that metamorphosed into Federal Ministry Environment, from Federal Ministry of Environment she was invited to Bureau for Public service Reforms (BPSR) then under the Presidency as one of the reform champions to kickstart the Bureau after undergoing trainings. After 2 years she returned to the Federal Ministry of Environment until her service was requested for by NIMASA.