By Tola Adenubi

Copyright tribuneonlineng

In recent time, the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy has left no stone unturned in its quest to ensure the country returns to the elite group of countries represented on the Council seats of the IMO. In this report, TOLA ADENUBI chronicles Nigeria’s campaign efforts and why she cannot afford to fail. Excerpts:

Elections are held into all three categories of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) every two years and Nigeria is eligible to contest elections into category C only but has on several occasions failed to secure a seat.

The three Categories of the IMO Council requirement are: Category (A) is for states with the largest interest in providing international shipping services and 10 countries are elected into this category every two years; Category (B) is for states with the largest interest in international seaborne trade, and 10 countries are also elected every two years; and Category (C) is for states not in (a) or (b) that have special interests in maritime transport and navigation and 20 countries are elected every two years.

The Council’s primary function is to supervise the organization’s work and serve as its executive body, performing the Assembly’s functions between its sessions.

NEGERIA’S CAMPAIGN PATTERN

The Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola has raised the bar as regards the country’s campaign pattern into the IMO Category C Council in recent time.

It is on record that no Minister has gone around the world to preach “Nigeria first” to international stakeholders as much as the incumbent Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola.

London flag-off

Oyetola formally flagged-off Nigeria’s IMO Council election campaign in June 2025 during the 110th Session of the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC 110) at the Delegates’ Lounge of the IMO Headquarters in London.

The event drew a distinguished audience, including the Secretary-General of the IMO, Mr. Arsenio Dominguez, as well as Permanent Representatives, Alternate Permanent Representatives, diplomats, and maritime delegates from over 120 IMO Member States.

It served as a platform for Nigeria to underscore its strategic maritime relevance and renew its commitment to global shipping governance.

In his keynote address, Minister Oyetola spotlighted Nigeria’s acclaimed Deep Blue Project as a model of maritime security innovation. Coordinated by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the multi-layered initiative integrates air, land, and sea assets to protect Nigeria’s maritime domain. The implementation of the Deep Blue Project, Minister Oyetola noted, has resulted in zero piracy incidents in Nigeria’s territorial waters over the past three years, a milestone that has drawn global commendation, including from the International Maritime Bureau (IMB).

Door-to-door campaign

By July of 2025, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy began a Door-to-Door campaign, meeting with representatives of key maritime nations towards winning critical support ahead of the upcoming elections.

Among the countries already engaged in this diplomatic outreach are Greece, Spain, Oman, Bangladesh, Namibia, Mexico, Italy and several others.

NEW YORK CAMPAIGN

In its latest campaign in September, the Minister has gone across the Atlantic, taking Nigeria’s campaign for a seat on the IMO Council Category C to Permanent Representatives of African nations ahead of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly held recently.

Minister Oyetola pointed to Nigeria’s extensive maritime endowments, which include 853 kilometres of coastline, over 10,000 kilometres of inland waterways, and a large Exclusive Economic Zone, as well as the country’s strategic location on the Gulf of Guinea, a corridor of vital commercial significance. He also reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to the IMO’s core mandate of safe, secure, environmentally responsible, efficient and sustainable shipping.

The Minister underscored Nigeria’s renewed institutional reforms and growing blue economy agenda. He explained that Nigeria has ratified and domesticated key IMO conventions and is actively working to accede to additional instruments addressing greenhouse gas emissions, biofouling, and maritime labour rights. Compliance with regulations on emissions, pollution control, and sustainable port operations are central to this alignment with global norms.

He also reaffirmed Nigeria’s strong commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14, which concerns the conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas and marine resources, and to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Endorsement

In a major diplomatic endorsement, the United Republic of Tanzania has thrown its weight behind Nigeria’s bid for election into Category C of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Council, citing strong bilateral relations and Nigeria’s past support as key factors.

This declaration was made recently during a courtesy visit by the Tanzanian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Selestine Gervas Kakele, to the Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola in Abuja.

Speaking during the visit, High Commissioner Kakele reaffirmed Tanzania’s commitment to fostering strategic maritime cooperation with Nigeria, describing both countries as natural partners with shared aspirations for maritime development. He noted that Tanzania’s support for Nigeria’s IMO Council bid stems not only from gratitude for Nigeria’s previous backing of Tanzania’s own IMO aspirations, but also from mutual respect and a shared vision for Africa’s voice on the global maritime stage.

The High Commissioner further expressed Tanzania’s eagerness to tap into Nigeria’s experience in developing its marine and blue economy sector. He revealed plans to dispatch a team of Tanzanian maritime experts to Nigeria in the coming months to understudy key government agencies under the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.

Very high stake

Having lost elections bid into the IMO Council seats since 2009, Nigeria has only been elected three times since she started campaigning– in 2000, 2007 and 2009. Every other attempt to return to the Council since the last election in 2009 has failed, leaving successive administrations wondering on what could have been.

With elections looming towards the end of 2025, Nigeria cannot afford to lose another election given that its almost two decades since she last found herself sitting in the Council seats of the apex maritime decision making group.

With Nigeria taking over leadership positions through the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Abubakar Dantsoho at the International Association for Ports & Harbours (IAPH); and the World Customs Organisation (WCO) Council through the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, the time to be represented on the world stage of maritime politics is now or never for Nigeria, and Minister Oyetola knows this.

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