Follow Us on Google
The Maritime Correspondents’ Organisation of Nigeria (MARCON) has pledged stronger collaboration with the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) to promote a more competitive and efficient maritime sector.
President of MARCON, Ismail Aniemu, made the commitment yesterday when the association’s executive members paid a courtesy visit to the Director General/Chief Executive Officer of NPERA, Dr. Pius Akutah.
Aniemu said the visit was aimed at strengthening the relationship between the media organisation and the newly established port economic regulator.
He congratulated Akutah and his team on the progress made in setting up NPERA, describing the development as an important milestone for Nigeria’s maritime industry.
He recalled that maritime correspondents had closely followed the evolution of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council and the long-standing efforts to establish a port economic regulator, which eventually led to the creation of NPERA.
According to him, the establishment of the agency provides an opportunity to address some of the challenges affecting the competitiveness of Nigerian ports.
He said MARCON would continue to support NPERA through responsible and accurate reporting aimed at promoting the development of the maritime sector.
“On behalf of my colleagues, I want to assure you that in our own little way, MARCON will continually support the NPERA to help the Nigerian ports to be competitive and achieve the hub status that we all have been anticipating for the West and Central Africa sub-region,” he said.
Aniemu also commended Akutah for his role in maritime dispute resolution and what he described as efforts to promote fairness in the industry.
He said Akutah should not only be remembered as the pioneer Director-General of NPERA, but also for helping to drive the transformation of Nigerian ports.
The MARCON president also informed the NPERA boss about the association’s forthcoming conference on sustainable fishing in Nigeria, scheduled for September 30 at Rockview Hotel, Apapa, Lagos.
Responding, Akutah thanked the MARCON delegation for the visit and acknowledged the contribution of the media and other maritime stakeholders to the development of NPERA.
He described the media as an important partner in national development, particularly in explaining government policies and regulatory developments to the public.
Other News
“Where we are today would not have been possible without the continuous collaboration and support that we receive from all of you,” he said.
Akutah assured that NPERA would remain firm and fair in implementing its enabling law, while urging maritime correspondents to help the public understand the agency’s mandate and the limits of what it can achieve under the law.
He called for a stronger relationship between the agency and the media as NPERA moves into its next phase.
“We want our partnership to continue, to be stronger and stronger, even as we move into this next stage,” he said.
Akutah also accepted MARCON’s invitation to the September 30 conference, saying the theme of sustainable fishing was closely linked to NPERA’s mandate and the broader development of Nigeria’s blue economy.
He identified illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing as one of the major challenges confronting Nigeria’s maritime sector.
According to him, Nigeria currently has a fish production deficit of more than two million metric tonnes, making sustainable management of the country’s marine resources critical.
He said recent engagements between the Federal Government and Danish authorities had further highlighted the importance of protecting marine resources.
Akutah noted that Denmark had experienced overfishing in its waters and was now working to rebuild its fish stocks, stressing that Nigeria should learn from such experiences.
He said the country must avoid unsustainable exploitation of its marine resources as it develops its blue economy.
The NPERA boss also assured MARCON that the agency would remain open to providing information needed by journalists to ensure accurate reporting of its activities.
He urged the association to continue informing the public about developments in the maritime sector while supporting efforts to make Nigerian ports more competitive.
The meeting underscored the importance of collaboration between the regulator and the media as NPERA begins to exercise its role in regulating the economic activities and competitiveness of Nigeria’s ports.
