News Update
President Bola Tinubu has authorized the establishment and development of Inland Dry Ports, IDPs, in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, and Moniya, Oyo State, as part of efforts to ease congestion at Lagos seaports, eliminate chronic delays, and enhance the nation’s economy.
The Inland Dry Ports, once operational, are expected to create job opportunities for the youth in Ogun, Oyo, and neighboring states in the Western region of Nigeria.
This announcement was made by the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, during the 2025 Budget Defense session held in Abuja on Monday, January 20. The session included the Joint Senate Committee on Marine Transport and the House of Representatives Committees on Ports and Harbors, Maritime Safety, Education and Administration, Inland Waterways, and Shipping Services.
Oyetola stated that the IDPs are being prioritized for swift completion to alleviate pressure on the Western Port System. Design consultancy for the projects is already underway.
Highlighting key challenges in the maritime sector, such as infrastructure decay, silted river channels, insufficient fish production, and a lack of adequate river crafts, the Minister emphasized the need for significant interventions.
To address these issues, the Ministry is launching various initiatives and projects aimed at infrastructure development, boosting fish production, improving maritime safety and security, deploying advanced technology for operations and revenue generation, enhancing human capacity, and enforcing effective technical and economic regulations to strengthen Nigeria’s blue economy.
Oyetola further noted that the Federal Government is committed to building on last year’s achievements by focusing on port infrastructure, maritime security, and sustainable development of the blue economy.
As part of the 2024 budget plan, the Ministry has completed foundational policy documents, including Nigeria’s National Blue Economy Strategy, the Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy, the Strategic Roadmap for Nigeria’s Blue Economy, and the National Policy for Marine and Blue Economy.
These documents, Oyetola explained, form the basis of a robust policy framework for the Ministry, guiding its efforts to maximize the potential of Nigeria’s marine resources.
“I feel greatly honoured to address the Joint Committee of the Senate on Marine Transport and House Committees on Ports and Harbour, Marine Safety, Education and Administration: Inland Waterways and Committee on Shipping Services on the occasion of 2025 Budget Defence,” Oyetola said.
“Today’s Budget Defence is in respect of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and the laying of the Government Owned Enterprises, GOE’s, budget before you which include the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA. Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA. Nigerian Shippers’ Council, NSC, Maritime Academy of Nigeria Oron and Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria.
“For the purpose of clarity, the Minister stated that “three of the Agencies under the Ministry, namely: NPA, NIMASA, and NSC, are fully self-funding and make significant remittances to the Consolidated Revenue Fund, CRF/TSA. The National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA, Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron derives their funding from both the FGN Budget and Internally Generated Revenue.
“The Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria, CRFFN, based on my passionate plea has been readmitted into the budget for funding albeit, erroneously under the Federal Ministry of Transport. I trust that you will rectify this. The five Agencies under the Fisheries and Aquaculture sector (Institutes and Colleges) are expected to come fully under the Ministry in the 2025 Budget.”
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