Some maritime experts from around the world have converged in Lagos to draft a national strategy meant to boost the country’s capability as a viable maritime nation.
Setting the ball rolling was  the Managing Director, Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG) Ship Management Limited (NSML), Mr. Abdulkadir  Ahmed who praised the organisers,  Association of Maritime Journalists of Nigeria (AMJON), for organising such a forum of  egg-heads in the industry to proffer solutions on  ‘Maximising  the Blue Economy through Automation’
According to the oil and gas expert, Nigeria has come of age in making port process less cumbersome and seamlessly profitable.
He remarked that there are standards to meet that are not peculiar to Nigeria.
The blue economy, he said, has to be actualised through technology efficiency in all sectors of the economy.
“For Nigeria to realise its potentials, all effort must be pulled together to strengthen all agencies,  institutions of government and the private sector and emulate the goings on in other worlds.
Speaking in the same vein, the Executive Chairman, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd),  thanked AMJON for assisting the agency in forming a formidable force against drug peddlers.
Marwa, who was represented by Dr. Omolade Faboyede, Director, Seaports Operation, NDLEA,  noted that the fight against drug barons and cartels in Nigeria and the world over is formidable, saying, “in every four drug abusers, there is one woman”.
She called on well meaning Nigerians to join the fight against drug menace in schools, saying even secondary schools, students have started smoking and inhaling dangerous drugs to the detriment of their future.
Nigeria Shippers Council (NSC), in its address, ex-rayed the importance of making the Ports and its users free from fraudulent practitioners and  insisted that the NSC has been in the forefront of ensuring  that Nigerian Ports are the best in the world through efficient and  prompt evacuation of cargoes   which engenders ease of doing business.
NSC’s Executive Secretary,  Hon. Emmanuel Jime, was represented at the AMJON Conference by  Mr. Sam Anyanwu, Director,  Corporate Communication and Strategy.
Highlights of the conference included an  award presented to one of the companies, Webb Fontaine, as the Most Innovative ICT firm in Nigeria in 2022.
In his good will message, the Managing Director of Webb Fontaine,  Mr. Ope Babalola, expressed gladness over the theme of the conference, saying the award given to his company will further push the company to do more in port technology, security and prompt cargo evaluation and evacuation.
The highpoint of the conference was presentation of AMJON Excellence Award to 14 deserving industry leaders.

By: Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos