The Executive Secretary of the Institute of Export Operations and Management (IEOM), Mr Ofon Udofia, has identified lack of strategic thinking by policy makers as a draw back to the growth of the maritime sector.
Udofia who spoke at the weekend in Port Harcourt during the dinner hosted by the Correspondent Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, (NUJ) as part their annual Correspondents Week cited a case where
Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA invested a whopping N300 billion to train 300 seafarers when the country is lacking a national fleet.
“I read in the news that NIMASA paid N300 billion to train 3,000 seafarers, a country without any vessel or shipping line. So after their training, where will you place them?” he asked.
Udofia also called on the federal government to implement a 30% rebate policy to revive the underutilized eastern ports, warning that failure to take action will leave Nigeria’s maritime economy in decline while other nations race ahead. He said the rebate will reduce the high rate of shipping imposed on Eastern ports that surpress businesses in the East.
He bemoaned the poor state of eastern ports such as Calabar, Rivers, Onitsha, Onne, Warri and Koko ports, describing them as “idle assets” wasting away due to years of policy neglect and lack of infrastructure investment.
“For the eastern ports to work, there should be 30% rebate and you will see all the eastern ports open. Calabar Port is like a swimming pool today. Koko Port is a forgotten project,” he lamented.
Udofia stressed that unlocking the potential of the blue economy begins with strategic investments and policies that encourage trade through neglected maritime corridors.
He challenged the University of Port Harcourt (Uniport) and other institutions in Rivers State to rise to the occasion.
“If you don’t do something on time, others will take over from you. Why is Uniport not offering the blue economy as a course, to make Rivers State the centre of the blue economy?”
Highlighting the role of media professionals in promoting trade, he proposed an NUJ Export Entrepreneurial Programme, with a focus on the eastern ports. According to him, journalists are uniquely positioned to succeed in the export sector due to their reach, access, and research skills.
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“Journalists can do brokerage by linking buyers to sellers all over the world and make a lot of money. You journalists have thinking fingers; there is no corner in Nigeria that you cannot enter and come out. You must wake up and export your service. When writing your news stories, look at the environment — there are so many products in Nigeria that are highly valued and highly priced abroad.”
Udofia linked Nigeria’s persistent insecurity to mass unemployment, emphasizing that the export value chain could be a powerful tool for job creation and economic stability.
“See the issue of insecurity in this country is fuelled by unemployment. Anyone who is gainfully employed cannot go into kidnapping or banditry. Export value chain is a sector that can curb unemployment in Nigeria,” he stated.
Taking a swipe at what he described as “cosmetic approaches” to training and capacity building in the sector, he criticized the practice of issuing export licenses to individuals with no formal export knowledge.
“Nigeria is the only country in the world where people are given an export license without having any knowledge of export. You don’t learn export in seminars,” he argued.
He also noted that Nigeria’s current university curriculum is outdated and not designed to build entrepreneurs or solve practical problems.
“Our university curriculum is certificate-based. It was designed for people to graduate and work in the civil service, not to solve problems or create wealth.”
On global trade dynamics, he said recent policies under U.S. President Donald Trump — particularly those that reduced dependence on Chinese imports — should be seen as an opportunity for Nigerian exporters.
“What Trump is doing is not a problem but an opportunity for countries like Nigeria to go into export and to increase our export capacity,” he said.
Earlier, chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel, Mr. Ameachi Okonkwo, praised the theme of the week’s events and called for sustained reporting on the blue economy and maritime issues in the Niger Delta and beyond.
