London, United Kingdom, November 19, 2024: At the ongoing 133rd session of Council (C-133) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Cllr. Neto Zarzar Lighe, Sr holds consultative talks with the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola.
During their discussion, Mr. Oyetola was delighted for the opportunity to meet the Liberian delegation, headed by the Commissioner/CEO, and requested technical support from the Republic of Liberia among other issues surrounding the Maritime sector.
The Nigerian Minister of Marine and Blue Economy also expressed interest in our Maritime Academy Program and would like to engage in certification exchange programs for capacity building, the placement of seafarers on Liberian vessels, maritime security within the Gulf of Guinea as well as continued collaboration. He stated that there has not been an incident of piracy within the past three (3) years within Nigerian waters, and would like to maintain the level of security with a stronger partnership with Liberia.
Among other issues, the Minister mentioned the concerns of IUU fishing from foreigners in our local waters. He also stressed the need for rebranding, tackling which will improve expansion in the exchange of trade. He further proposed the opportunity for investment between the two nations in a Public Private Partnership (PPP) for better coordination.
Finally, the Minister solicited the support of Liberia for their candidature of Category C of the IMO council for the upcoming elections in December 2025.
For his part, Cllr. Lighe, Sr expressed sincere appreciation for the meeting and assured that the Republic of Liberia will do all within its power to create an enabling environment for trade between the two nations. The Commissioner also intimated that there is a need for a reciprocal exchange program; where he stated that within five years, the Liberia Maritime Training Institute (LMTI) in Liberia will provide undergraduate studies in related fields of Maritime in conjunction with the Regional Maritime University (RMU) in Accra, Ghana and the World Maritime University (WMU) in Malmo, Sweden.
On the issue of the candidature of Category C, Cllr Lighe, Sr mentioned that Liberia will support the Federal Republic of Nigeria during the upcoming elections in December, and will expect reciprocation as well.
Finally, Cllr. Lighe, Sr stressed the need for modernized infrastructure at our various Port facilities and believes that a partnership with Nigeria will improve trade and revenue generation between governments.
Both counterparts are expected to deliberate more extensively with their respective capitals and provide favorable decisions for the improvements of their Maritime programs.
Source: Liberia Maritime Authority
