Stakeholders in the marine and blue economy sector have called for the full adoption of digital technologies to address long-standing inefficiencies across Nigeria’s seaports, insisting that modernisation is critical to unlocking the country’s economic potential.
They made the call at a conference organised by the Nigeria Institution of Maritime Engineers and Naval Architects (NIMENA) in Port Harcourt, where industry experts lamented persistent delays, manual processes and congestion despite Nigeria hosting some of West Africa’s busiest ports.
Delivering the keynote address, Senior Special Assistant on Marine and Blue Economy to the Ondo State Government, Dr Aladenusi Olugbemiro, said global maritime operations have shifted to digital, data-driven systems, while Nigeria continues to rely heavily on analogue processes that slow trade and weaken competitiveness.
“For years, our maritime sector has struggled with port congestion, manual processes, security risks, and aging infrastructure,” he said. “These issues weaken competitiveness and limit our economic growth. Digital transformation offers practical, proven solutions.”
Olugbemiro said Nigeria must urgently embrace technologies such as automated traffic systems to ease port congestion, smart documentation to eliminate delays, real-time vessel tracking to improve safety, and integrated port management systems to attract investment.
“Nigeria cannot achieve a modern blue economy on analogue foundations,” he added.
Call for a Clear National Blue Economy Policy
NIMENA National Chairman, Eferebo Sylvanus, stressed the need for a clear national policy on the blue economy as well as standardisation across the sector to ensure technical independence and efficiency.
He argued that despite Nigeria’s vast maritime resources and large human capital, the country still depends heavily on foreign technical expertise an issue that undermines full marine sovereignty and limits local capacity development.
“To unlock the potentials, we have to be sovereign,” he said. “We are a sovereign nation but not sovereign technically. We cannot standardise or certify our own tools, and our cadets still have to obtain foreign certification.”
Sylvanus noted that with a structured national vision and policy framework, the maritime sector could generate enormous wealth and jobs.
Engineering Council Flags Capacity Gaps
President of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), Saddiq Abubakar, said Nigeria’s maritime domain is central to trade, logistics, energy exports, naval defence and blue economy development, but remains constrained by substandard marine engines, inadequate maintenance culture and limited shipyard capabilities.
He warned that the proliferation of poor-quality maritime equipment and machinery continues to undermine local content development and operational reliability.
Abubakar said proper standardisation would bring significant benefits, including improved durability of locally built vessels, expanded export capacity for Nigerian shipyards and reduced long-term maintenance costs.
Pathway to a Modern Blue Economy
Speakers at the conference unanimously agreed that digital transformation, technical standardisation and a unified national vision are essential for Nigeria to fully harness its blue economy estimated globally to be worth trillions of dollars.
They urged the Federal Government to prioritise interoperability of port systems, digital skill development, and investment in marine infrastructure to position Nigeria as a competitive maritime hub in Africa.
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