The League of Maritime Editors, a coalition of senior industry journalists, has
announced a bold 2026 growth media agenda designed to accelerate Nigeria’s
marine and blue economy. With reforms underway and agencies mandated to
deliver, the group of seasoned journalists disclosed that it has drawn up plans to
spotlight progress, expose bottlenecks, and convene solutions through sustained
coverage and public accountability aimed at supporting the industry’s 2026
growth trajectory.
In a statement signed by the President, Mrs Remi Itie, Secretary General, Felix Kumuyi, Public Relations Officer, Francis Ugwoke, the League
noted that Nigeria’s maritime sector has what it takes to become the cornerstone
of national GDP, leading critical growth indices in the absence of the oil and gas
sector, which has significantly lost ground as the nation’s once-proud economic
giant.
The League emphasized that with the scale of reforms implemented in the past
two years and the amplification of key performance indicators, the marine and
blue economy must step in to drive and sustain the national growth agenda, as is
the case in other maritime nations.
According to the League, existing official statistics on capacity development
programmes and aggregate growth indices, aligned with development blueprints
and policy frameworks of the past two years, indicate that 2026 can serve as a
turning point in Nigeria’s search for economic stability and sustainable growth.
As a responsible professional group, the League reaffirmed its commitment to
partnerships that promote value addition through reliable reportage and a
sustainable outlook that guarantees stakeholder confidence, both at home and overseas.
In light of its social contract as media practitioners, the League expressed
determination to uphold the trust reposed in it, not only by providing accurate
reports that support development initiatives, but also by delivering balanced and
objective industry analysis capable of driving critical economic growth appraisals
through appropriate forums and dialogue.
The League stressed that the functions and mandates of government agencies in
the sector including the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Shippers’ Council
(NSC), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), National Inland Waterways Authority
(NIWA), Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Nigerian Maritime Administration
and Safety Agency (NIMASA), and the Council for the Regulation of Freight
Forwarders of Nigeria (CRFFN), must be supported to become more responsive
and accountable.
As stakeholders in the Nigerian project, the League demands proper alignment of
policies with measurable actions, the efficiencies of which the media must be
willing to track in a dependable and sustainable manner that promotes
confidence, trust and progress.
The League firmly believes that every government agency in the sector must
commit to making 2026 a year of strategic turnaround for higher yields and
economic prosperity.
It should be a year of productive growth and less rhetoric, a
year marked by significant results in cost efficiencies, tangible deliverables, and
higher growth margins clearly evident in overall economic performance.
Specifically:
The Nigerian Ports Authority must focus on port modernization and green port
investments.
The Nigeria Customs Service is expected to make the National Single Window
project operational in real time, visibly driving trade facilitation.
NIMASA should prioritize safety, security, and the implementation of IMO
conventions.
The Nigerian Shippers’ Council must emphasize economic regulation and tariff
transparency.
NIWA should enhance operational safety to reduce boat mishaps and casualties,
while advancing dredging, monitoring, and compliance.
The Maritime Academy of Nigeria must improve training quality and global
relevance, while the media tracks cadet skills development in simulator training,
STCW outcomes, and employer feedback.
The CRFFN must reinvent its relevance, earn stakeholder trust, and strengthen its
core mandate with regards to achieving professional standards and capacity
building. Focus should also shift to Forwarders 2.0, with tracking of CPD hours,
certifications, and compliance audits.