By Chris Agabi
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola has meet with all heads of the agencies under the ministry.
Rising from the meeting on Wednesday in Abuja, he ordered the immediate the rehabilitation and modernisation of the nation’s ports. He promised that the rehabilitation and Modernisation will start in no distant time, a statement from the Minister’s media office stated..
The minister, who was inaugurated last Monday, began receiving briefings from the heads of agencies and departments under his ministry almost immediately. So far, he has interacted with all the departmental heads and followed up with the heads of agencies, beginning with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), National Inland WaterWays Authority (NIWA) and Nigeria Shippers’ Council.
He rounded off the briefings on Wednesday with the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron and the Council for Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN).
Oyetola also noted that dredging of the nation’s ports will also continue so as to make them remain navigable, enhance their operations, and ensure improved revenue generation for the Federal Government.
He promised to look into some of the issues impeding their smooth operations with relevant agencies of the government, just as he reiterated the need for effective collaboration among agencies within the Marine and Blue Economy Ministry so as to realise the vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration for the sector.
“The briefings have been educative and enlightening. It gave me the opportunity to listen to the challenges of the departments and agencies under our Ministry, and I have resolved, working with my team to ensure we hit the ground running immediately. We remain committed to the realisation of the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President,” the minster added.
