KEY POINTS
- Former NIMASA Public Relations Director, Hajia Lami Tumarka; retired Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs Charles Edike, and WIMA President, Theodora Nwanze, have confirmed their participation.
- The conference will hold on Friday, November 13, 2026, at Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, beginning at 11:00 a.m.
- Former NIMASA Director-General, Barrister Temisan Omatseye, will chair the event, while Adegboyega Oyetola will attend as Special Guest of Honour.
- Discussions will focus on seaport modernisation, trade facilitation, revenue optimisation and the development of Nigeria’s marine and blue economy.
MAIN STORY
The Network of Nigerian Maritime Journalists has confirmed the participation of more prominent maritime industry leaders at its forthcoming Unity Conference, scheduled for Friday, November 13, 2026, at Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.
Among the latest personalities confirmed for the event are former Director of Public Relations at the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Hajia Lami Tumarka; retired Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs, Charles Edike; and President of Women in Maritime Africa, Theodora Nwanze.
According to a press statement signed by the Organisation Public Relations Officer, Jerry Aguigbo, on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, the conference is expected to bring together policymakers, heads of maritime agencies, shipping executives, terminal operators, legal practitioners, freight forwarders, licensed customs agents and other critical stakeholders to discuss the future of Nigeria’s maritime industry.
Former Director-General of NIMASA, Barrister Temisan Omatseye, will chair the conference, while the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, will attend as Special Guest of Honour. Maritime lawyer Emeka Akabogu, SAN, will deliver the keynote address.
With the theme, “Seaport Modernisation, Trade Facilitation and Revenue,” the conference will examine the performance, policy direction and operational efficiency of Nigeria’s maritime sector under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The conference, scheduled to begin at 11:00 a.m., will also assess ongoing government reforms, infrastructure projects and strategic interventions required to improve the maritime sector’s contribution to national economic growth.
Discussions will cover the modernisation of Nigeria’s seaports, the rehabilitation and renewal of critical port infrastructure, trade facilitation, ease of doing business, revenue optimisation and measures for identifying and eliminating financial leakages across the maritime value chain.
Participants will also examine opportunities for expanding Nigeria’s marine and blue economy, creating employment, strengthening maritime safety and security, and improving the global competitiveness of the country’s seaports.
The NNMJ Chairman, Elder Dele Aderibigbe, said the Unity Conference was conceived to promote informed dialogue, deepen collaboration among stakeholders and generate practical recommendations for addressing challenges confronting the maritime industry.
They said the conference would allow stakeholders to assess existing government policies and reforms, identify implementation gaps and propose sustainable measures to improve port operations, facilitate legitimate trade, increase government revenue and unlock the economic potential of the maritime sector.
The NNMJ leadership also emphasised the role of maritime journalism in promoting transparency and accountability, providing credible industry analysis and sustaining informed public discussion on government policies, regulatory interventions and reforms affecting the marine and blue economy.
They expressed confidence that the conference would strengthen relationships among stakeholders, encourage meaningful policy engagement and support collective efforts to build a more efficient, transparent and globally competitive maritime industry.
THE ISSUES
Nigeria’s seaports play a central role in international trade, government revenue generation and the movement of goods into and out of the country. However, the sector continues to contend with infrastructure deficiencies, operational delays, high logistics costs, administrative bottlenecks and financial leakages.
Modernising port infrastructure and simplifying cargo-clearance procedures could improve efficiency, shorten turnaround times and reduce the cost of doing business. Achieving these outcomes will require coordination among government agencies, terminal operators, shipping companies, customs agents, freight forwarders and other industry participants.
Revenue optimisation will also depend on improving transparency, deploying appropriate technology and closing gaps that allow revenue losses across the maritime value chain. These reforms must support legitimate trade without creating additional obstacles for businesses and port users.
The conference will provide stakeholders with an opportunity to examine these concerns, assess the progress of existing reforms and propose practical measures for improving the performance of Nigeria’s maritime sector.
WHAT’S NEXT
Participants are expected to use the conference to identify implementation gaps in current maritime policies and recommend practical interventions for improving seaport operations, trade facilitation and revenue generation.
The recommendations emerging from the discussions are also expected to support continued engagement among policymakers, regulatory agencies, private-sector operators and maritime professionals on the development of Nigeria’s marine and blue economy.
BOTTOM LINE
The NNMJ Unity Conference will bring key maritime stakeholders together to examine how port modernisation, efficient trade processes and stronger revenue systems can improve Nigeria’s maritime industry and increase its contribution to economic growth.
