World Maritime Day 2026: IMION champions Nigeria’s shift from policy to action

 

 

Maureen Aguta

The International Maritime Institute of Nigeria (IMION) has called for a decisive shift from maritime policy formulation to practical implementation, stressing that effective execution, specialised manpower and institutional collaboration are critical to unlocking Nigeria’s maritime potential.

The institute made the call as Nigeria joined the global community to mark the 2026 World Maritime Day, themed “From Policy to Practice: Powering Maritime Excellence.”

Director-General of IMION, Rear Admiral Thaddeus Udofia (rtd.), said Nigeria must move beyond ratifying international maritime conventions and translate its commitments into measurable improvements in port efficiency, maritime security, regulatory compliance and inland waterway operations.

According to him, the country’s maritime policies can only deliver meaningful economic benefits when supported by skilled professionals capable of implementing them effectively.

“Knowledge without execution is a stranded asset,” Udofia said, adding that Nigeria’s maritime success should be measured by improvements in security, digitalisation and regulatory discipline across its ports and logistics corridors.

He stressed that translating policy frameworks into practical results remained essential to achieving maritime excellence and strengthening Nigeria’s competitiveness in international trade.

Udofia congratulated the Federal Government on what IMION described as significant achievements in international maritime diplomacy and security, particularly Nigeria’s return to Category C membership of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Council after 14 years and the lifting of a 12-year port security restriction imposed by the United States Coast Guard on vessels arriving from Nigeria.

He attributed the progress to sustained government efforts to improve maritime security and restore international confidence in the country’s shipping environment.

The institute also commended the Federal Government’s multi-agency Deep Blue Project, which it said had contributed to more than three consecutive years without reported piracy incidents in Nigerian waters.

According to IMION, the security gains have helped improve the perception of Nigeria’s maritime domain and could reduce operational difficulties for shipping companies and other industry operators.

Conceived by the Nigerian Navy as a research-based centre of excellence and strategic think-tank, IMION said it had trained more than 500 maritime stakeholders and senior executives across various blue economy disciplines since its establishment.

The institute said its training programmes were designed to bridge the gap between policy objectives and the technical expertise required to implement reforms across the maritime sector.

It added that it had developed strategic partnerships with international maritime institutes, academic institutions and other global organisations to promote knowledge exchange and the adoption of international best practices.

At the domestic level, IMION highlighted its collaboration with the Admiralty University of Nigeria (ADUN) to develop executive programmes aimed at translating maritime intelligence and research into practical operational solutions.

Among its initiatives is an executive course on strategic leadership for the Centre of Excellence for Blue Economy, which is designed to equip government officials and private-sector executives with the leadership and change-management skills required to drive reforms.

The institute also cited its logistics and trade facilitation summit and the development of a stakeholder-backed five-year port transformation plan as part of efforts to improve port operations, reduce transaction costs and address supply chain bottlenecks.

In the fisheries sector, IMION said it had introduced a five-pillar plan to support the revival of Nigeria’s fisheries industry through scientific fish-stock assessments, coastal lagoon cage culture and satellite-based spatial planning.

The initiative, it said, was intended to strengthen domestic fish production, improve resource management and contribute to national food security.

The institute also identified maritime security and global trade workshops among its capacity-building initiatives, noting that specialised training was essential to protecting critical maritime infrastructure and addressing emerging threats across the Gulf of Guinea.

In addition, IMION said it had institutionalised and subsidised a blue economy course for media practitioners to improve the quality and accuracy of maritime reporting in Nigeria.

It added that its professional training programmes had been aligned with the latest revisions to the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) Convention to prepare Nigerian seafarers for technological changes, green shipping and the global transition towards decarbonisation.

Udofia said IMION would continue to support evidence-based policymaking, technical training and strategic research to strengthen Nigeria’s maritime institutions and improve the performance of the blue economy.

The institute called for sustained collaboration among government agencies, maritime regulators, industry operators, academic institutions and other stakeholders to consolidate recent gains and translate policy commitments into tangible economic benefits.

It said effective implementation of maritime reforms would be crucial to positioning Nigeria as a leading maritime hub in the Gulf of Guinea.