Oyetola Rallies Stakeholders on Removing Barriers to Investments in Maritime Sector
By Kabir Akintayo
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has charged heads of agencies and parastatals in the Ministry to redouble their efforts in ensuring the realisation of the presidential mandate on investment drive.
Oyetola said this while hosting the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) team, led by Dr. Jumoke Oduwole in his office on Friday.
The meeting was, according to him, centred on a comprehensive evaluation of pivotal agencies crucial to Nigeria’s maritime domain, including the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigerian Inland Waterways (NIWA), Nigerian Shippers Council and the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria.
The gathering also underscored a unified drive to streamline operations and foster a conducive business climate.
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He said: “For this Ministry to facilitate business development and attract investments to Nigeria’s maritime sector, it must be a collective effort from all the agencies and parastatals.
“This meeting with PEBEC signals a necessary collaboration geared towards dismantling barriers impeding business operations within Nigeria’s maritime sector.
“By fostering an environment that is conducive to commerce, the government aims to stimulate economic growth, attract foreign investments and position Nigeria as a maritime hub in the region,” Oyetola said.
Dr. Oduwole commended Oyetola and his counterparts in other Ministries for their unwavering commitment to driving reforms and enhancing the robustness of the country’s business environment.
She said: “There is a need to sustain collaboration between government agencies and private sector stakeholders in fostering sustainable economic development.”
Meanwhile, the Minister also met with the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adeniyi Adewale, to strategise on the procurement and deployment of advanced scanning technology across the nation’s ports.
In his brief speech at the meeting, the Minister said: “This initiative is poised to revolutionise cargo clearance processes, significantly curtailing the turnaround time for cargo clearance and fortifying the ease of doing business index in Nigeria’s maritime domain.”
