By Stephen Ubanna
Going by the Them
e of the 2022, World Maritime Day Celebration as announced by Kitack Lim, Secretary General, International Maritime Organization, IMO, a United Nations’ specialized Maritime agency, Muazu Jaji Sambo, minister of Transportation appears to have cued into it as he had said that Nigeria targets to achieve zero carbon shipping by 2050.
The minister made the bold policy Statement on Thursday, September 29, 2022, being the second day of this year’s IMO, World Maritime Day celebration in Lagos, the nation’s commercial nerve center to the admiration of industry stakeholders. The event had kicked off on Wednesday, September 28, 2022.
He may have gladdened the heart of Barshir Jamoh, Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, and his Management Team, when he said that the country is duty bound to contribute to the global efforts to ensure a safer maritime environment.
The Kaduna state born technocratt, before being appointed minster of Transportation, by President Muhammadu Buhai last June had said that ‘’there is need for the global maritime Community to prioritise the imperative of sustainable policies and projects , which would ensure the protection of the immediate marine environment and survival of mankind.
He had stressed the need for adoption of the New Technology as the theme of this’ World Maritime Day connotes to be able to drive the nation’s maritime sector which has become imperative, insisting that ‘’all hands must be on deck to support a green transition of the nation’s maritime industry to sustainable future as espoused by the IMO’’.
A Green shipping, he had said ‘’implies the commitment by the private sector to invest in more modern platform and assets which is expected to meet the emission levels of the future’’. It was not surprising why he has stated his commitment to the actualization of the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund, CVFF, objective, stressing that ‘’it will offer a veritable platform for the acquisition of newer vessels by the indigenous shipping companies’’.
The minister may have taken advantage of the Theme of the 2022, World Maritime Day celebration to restate that ‘’a greener and sustainable maritime industry could only be achieved if industry stakeholders work together in partnerships in the formulation and implementation of the road map for the maritime sector in Nigeria and globally’’.
Ademola Adegoroye, minister of state, Transportation , noted that for the country to attain greener shipping, ‘’it is imperative ‘’to embrace the new technologies through aggressive technology transfer, research and development, innovations and partnership’’.
Adegoroye had canvassed the need for stakeholders from both the public and private sectors in the nation’s maritime sector to work together for ‘’a greener shipping regime, stating that this will be attained in the country in or before 2050’’. He had said that the Theme for this year’s World Maritime Day Celebration, New technologies, is relevant in addressing specific aspects of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, SDG.He had cited SDG 9,13, 14 and 17 ,on industry, innovation and infrastructure, climate action, sustainable use of the oceans, seas and marine resources and the importance of partnership and implementation to achieve the goals’’.
Magadalene Ajani, Permanent Secretary , Federal ministry of Transportation, in her remarks said ‘’the theme for this year’s world maritime Day celebration reflected the need to support a green transition of the nation’s maritime sector into a sustainable future’’. She averred that the transition to sustainable future would be achieved through ‘’promotion of inclusive innovation and uptake of emerging technology, particular, in the context of developing countries and the small inland developing states, SIDS and the least developed countries’’.
The Federal ministry of Transportation top official is optimistic that this year’s them ‘’will address the challenges and explore the opportunities for New Technologies to accelerate the transition of the nation’s maritime sector towards a greener zero/low emission future’’.
Jamoh, NIMASA, Director General, had said that the bold initiative to achieve zero-carbon shipping require a global team effort , stressing that the agency message to its partners in government and the nation’s maritime sector ‘’is let’s work together and proactively support the transition to a greener and more sustainable maritime sector for Nigeria, Africa and the world in general’’.
He stated that the maritime regulatory agency’s strategy for net zero carbon emission shipping is centered on adoption of a national action plan , provision of incentives and financial mechanisms , regional and global cooperation.
Mohammed Bello-Koko, Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, ‘’noted that ‘’bringing environmental efficiency and digitization to the nation’s maritime sector is a duty for everyone owed the habitat’’.Hear him: Eco-friendly port is very much in tandem with the Authority’s resolve to identify with the rest of humanity in the contribution to the share of the shipping industry in reducing hazardous emissions within the marine environment’’.
Realising that automation is the pillar of port efficiency, may have informed why the Authority is working assiduously under the technical guidance and consultancy IMO officials to deploy the Port Community System,PCS to its operations.
Taiwo Afolabi, Chairman, SIFAX Group, in his remarks had pointed out that in addressing the impact of fossil fuel, be it in ships or power stations, it must be addressed at global level’’. Afolabi, who was said to have been represented at the event by Ibrahim Olugbade, a Merchant ship Captain and Executive Director at the SIFFAX Group,, haad said that ‘’environmental damage was not discriminatory , as it affected the rich and not so rich, old and young and those who could not afford basic healthcare’’.
The SIFFAX Executive Director expects the Federal ministry of Transportation and its agencies, NIMASA, NPA, Nigerian Shippers Council, NSC, and Nigerian Inlands Water Ways Authority, NIMWA, to take the lead while industry stakeholders collaborate with them to find solutions for the future of the nation’s maritime sector’’.
The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that Captain Olugbade, the SIFFAX Executive Director, who had represented the SIFAX Group Chairman was said to have further stated in his remarks that ‘’finding solutions for renewable fuel production for the nation’s shipping industry for a greener shipping requires ‘’more equitable and more sustainable maritime future’’.
This year’s World Maritime Day Celebration may have ended on Thursday, September 29, 2022, with ‘’the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, MOU, between IMO and the Commonwealth Secretariat, with respect ‘’to Cooperation in the maritime sector in Commonwealth countries’’ .
Given an insider information of the agreement, Lim, the IMO, Secretary General, disclosed that ‘’the MOU, will utilize its’ experience as the UN, specialized agency responsible for setting global standards for the safety, security and facilitation of international shipping and the prevention of pollution by ships’’.
He had said that ‘’these would be achieved with the collaboration with the Commonwealth Secretariat’s guidance on policy making, technical assistance and advisory services to support Commonwealth countries to achieve sustainable , inclusive and equitable development’’, including ‘’the Commonwealth Blue Charter, that was said to have been adopted by the Commonwealth Heads of Government in London, United Kingdom, UK, in 2018.
He confirmed that most Commonwealth countries are member States of the IMO, stressing that IMO, under his leadership is committed ‘’to supporting member States through targeted projects, technical cooperation and partnership building, in the implementation of international maritime conventions and instruments’’.
Lim, the IMO, Secretary General, was said to have reminded member States that with ‘’a vision towards ‘’a voyage together that was adopted in March 2020, he has established the Department of partnerships and projects, DPP, which ‘’serves as a gateway ‘’for developing partnership opportunities with a wide range of external partners, including IMO member States, UN agencies, financial institutions, Non- Governmental Organizations, NGOs and the private sector’’.
The IMO boss, averred that ‘’the knowledge of partnership brings together IMO’S maritime expertise, knowledge and global network, and its partners’ experience, investment and technical expertise, in kind support and other sources to support member States’’.
An elated Lim had said that given the fact that the maritime sector binds member States together, the MoU, that had been signed with the Commonwealth Secretariat , ‘’will help member States target countries with additional support to ensure that ‘’shipping, which is an indispensable to global trade and sustainable development’’ become greener and more resilient in supporting employment generations and driving forward the Blue economy across the nations’’.
There are indications that prior to the Signing of the MoU, with the Commonwealth Secretariat, the UN, specialized agency had organized the IMO- UN, Environment Programme, UNEP- Norway Forum on Wednesday, September 28, 2022. Lim had revealed that two thousand people had connected all over the world, to attend the event, stressing that’’ it was organized with the support of government of Norway’’.
An appreciative Lim, had said that ‘’the Collaboration between IMO and UNEP, showcases the UN family as acting together ‘’to further tackle climate change and the progress in the decarbonization of industries and further cooperation and exchange in these areas’’.
He disclosed that ‘’the innovation Forum is linked to the IMO World Maritime Day theme 2022’’New Technologies for Greener Shipping’’. According to him, the theme reflects the need to support a green transition of the global maritime sector into a sustainable future while leaving no one behind.
He was emphatic that ‘’the IMO-UNEP-Norway innovation forum was aimed at supporting the UN specialized maritime agency efforts to bring together international policy makers , maritime, climate change and environmental administrators , technology developers , maritime industry , ports and finance experts to catalyze the collaboration and innovation for climate action in the global maritime sector’’.
‘’We must continue this voyage together towards the preservation of the environment by accelerating decarboniZation of the global maritime sector’’, he had said.
He opined ‘’that innovation is fundamental to a successful energy transition of the global maritime industry that new technologies, renewable alternative fuels and infrastructure that would support low- and zero-carbon shipping including new financial solutions to support all these.
Lim had said that the initiatives as the innovative systems, created through research and development partnerships, particular, involving the private sector is for all hands to be on deck.’’We will succeed by journeying together, developing industries, particular, least developed countries, LDCs, and Small Island Developing States, SIDS, must be on board the energy transition as the UN, maritime agency, would continue ‘’to address the problems of capacity building, technology and infrastructure needs of member States’’.
This may have informed why the IMO helmsman had told member States that the agency stands ready ‘’to further support their decarbonization journey and to promote inclusive innovation and leaving no one behind’’.
