By Seun Ibiyemi
In Nigeria’s quest to regain its place in “Category C” of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) receives a boost as Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola has met with Minister of Transport (MoT) for Liberia, Hon. Sirleaf Ralph Tyler, to solicit the support of other maritime nations at the ongoing 133rd Session of the IMO Council in London.
This development is coming on the heels of Oyetola ‘s Inauguration of an Inter-Ministerial Committee for the actualisation of the noble quest to solidify Nigeria’s standing in the comity of Maritime nations
This is in keeping with the resolve of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR) to convert Nigeria’s Maritime potentials to actualities for national economic prosperity.
Only last week, President Tinubu signed the instruments of accession for six (6) Conventions of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), to infuse the governance best practices necessary for Nigeria’s access to the technical, human capital, and institutional development assistance that election into the “Category C” confers.
The IMO ‘ Category C’ comprises 20 Countries that have special interests in maritime transport or navigation and whose election to the Council will ensure the representation of all major geographic areas of the world.
With this renewed move to get re-elected into the keenly contested ”Category C,” Nigeria is poised to win back the prestige and concomitant benefits earned in 1975, 2001, and 2005 when the maritime country played a pivotal role in global Maritime policy shaping.