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Nigeria Targets $1bn Deals At TICAD9 – Tinubu
Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu has said that country is participating in the ongoing 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) with a mission to unlock over $1billion in trade and investment opportunities.
Tinunu, qho wrote on his X handle on Wednesday, said Nigeria’s engagement at the summit, themed “Co-create innovative solutions with Africa”, was anchored on green innovation, industrial growth, and youth empowerment.
“Our participation aims to unlock $1Billion+ in trade & investment, drive green innovation & industrial growth, expand opportunities for our youth, and position Nigeria as the heart and gateway to West Africa’s vast market”, he stated.
Describing the conference as a launchpad for lasting development and global partnership, Tinubu noted that Nigeria’s push was built on “technology, talent and trust.”
He added that Nigeria will continue to play a leadership role on the continent, declaring that: “Nigeria will lead, and Africa will rise.”
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Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, has said the state is committed to diversification of its economy by promoting food security, job and wealth creation through revolutionization of the agricultural sector.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo stated this during his presentation at a panel discussion in Kigali, capital of Rwanda, during a week-long agricultural tour of the State’s delegation to the East African nation, saying Government was poised to among other approaches, aggressively pursue conservation agriculture and regenerative farming to boost food production in the state.
A statement from the Senior Special Assistant to the Deputy Governor on Media, Mr. Doubara Atasi, quoted him as saying that the delegation comprised top government functionaries, including chairmen of the eight Local Government Areas of the state.
The Deputy Governor explained that the study tour was aimed at strengthening knowledge in modern agricultural practices such as mechanization and climate-smart food production technologies.
Other officials who participated in the discussions, according to the Media Aide of the Deputy Governor include, the Chief Executive of Rwanda Cooperation, Ms. Patricie Uwase, and the Vice Chancellor of the Rwandan Institute for Conservative Agriculture (RICA), Dr. Olusegun Yerokun.
Sharing his experience from the study tour, the State’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Prof. Bekes Sese, described the choice of Rwanda as very appropriate and rewarding as the east African country share a lot of similarities with Nigeria in terms of climate and other environmental conditions.
Prof. Sese, who gave thumbs up to Rwanda for its clean environment and current level of agricultural production, said the same could be replicated in Nigeria, especially in Bayelsa, with proper organization and attitudinal behaviour, noting also that the tour has exposed the delegation to field observation of soil erosion control trials, technical demonstration on artificial insemination in pigs, water-use efficiency and mechanization in crop production.
While encouraging Bayelsans to embrace farming and self-reliance, the Agric commissioner informed that the Governor Douye Diri-led administration was making conscious efforts to change the state agricultural trajectory for good.
“We visited the Rwandan Institute for Conservation Agriculture, and associated facilities located at the Bugesera District, Eastern Province of Rwanda.
“We had the privilege to have field observation of erosion control trials, biosecurity on livestock production, and climate-smart irrigation technologies, with a visit to the Black Soldier Fly (BSF) facility that converts organic waste into high-protein livestock feed and fertilizer.
“I believe the beautiful things including the clean environment in Rwanda can be replicated here in Nigeria, even in Bayelsa with proper organization and the right attitude”, the Commissioner said.
Other members of the State delegation were the Deputy Chief of Staff, Deputy Governor’s Office, Comrade Gowon Toruyouyei; the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Chief Thompson Amule, his Marine and Blue Economy counterpart, Dr. Faith Izibenua Zibbs-Godwin, heads of Agriculture department in the eight Local Government Areas of the State, a Director from the State Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and Mr. Ebiuwou Abeki.
The Tide learnt that recently the State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, had charged chairmen of the eight Local Government Areas to key into his administration’s effort to boost agriculture by investing in crops where their areas have comparative advantage to ensure food security and job creation.
The Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Dr. Pius Akutah, has called for inter-agency and multi-sectoral collaborations to combat the rising incidents of human trafficking and stowaways in the nation’s marine and blue economy sector.
Akutah, who made the call, Tuesday, in his office in Abuja, while receiving the leadership of the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and the MMS WoFHoF Initiative, who were on a courtesy visit to explore collaboration to combat human trafficking by sea, noted that stowaway is a veritable means of transporting victims of human trafficking to other countries.
He described the menace as transnational organised crime that accounts for a global loss of over $100m annually, adding that the crime started growing in Africa in the last 10 years, taking a dangerous form.
The visit, which was part of the means of rallying relevant agencies, ministries, and stakeholders in the marine and blue economy sector, was facilitated by the MMS WoFHoF Initiative to help combat the menace of human trafficking by sea and gender-based violence.
He stated that he had handled human trafficking cases as a prosecutor for the nation in the past, affirming that the NAPTIP Act of 2003 derived its source from the Transnational Organised Crime Convention 2000, to which Nigeria is a signatory.
According to him, “The menace has become something we should all join hands together to combat because it leads to many criminal activities. The maritime sector is not left out of this; stowaway is a veritable means of transporting victims to other countries.
“You know, before now, they used land transport. Now, stowaways have become a major means of transporting these people, victims, to where they are needed.”
He added that the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, had spoken eloquently and in strong terms against sexual harassment within the sector, especially onboard ships.
“This is one issue that the Minister will take very seriously. As the port economic regulatory agency in the sector, we are concerned about the port economy, and these are criminal activities that also destroy the economy of the port.
“So, it is also within our mandate to go into this partnership with NAPTIP and your partnering NGO-MMS WoFHoF, and we are committed to that partnership going forward”, Akutah stated.
He explained that within the port sector, many other agencies are very important in this struggle.
Earlier, the Director-General of NAPTIP, Hajia Binta Adamu Bello, who described the NSC as a critical partner, disclosed that due to the intense operational heat on traffickers on the land borders by operatives of NAPTIP, some of the traffickers have now resorted to using the waterways to traffic their victims.
“The shipping, ports, and logistics sectors can play a pivotal role in early detection, prevention, and reporting of trafficking activities, making collaboration between NAPTIP and NSC not only strategic but essential”, she said.
Bello added that the agency is proposing to deepen engagement with the maritime sector in the fight against human trafficking, especially in sensitisation for the identification of potential trafficking cases along the waterways and timely reporting to relevant authorities.
She said, “We propose a collaboration targeting port workers, shipping agents, freight forwarders, crew members, and other maritime stakeholders to identify and report suspected trafficking activities using NSC’s outreach structures, the Nigerian Port Process Manual platforms, and Port Standing Task Team channels to integrate anti-trafficking awareness.”
Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has said the Federal Government under President Bola Tinubu is committed to building a modern, safe, and globally competitive maritime sector.
Oyetola also announced plans to replicate the success of the Lekki Deep Seaport across Nigeria’s maritime sector, which he described as a model for transformative growth and development.
A statement on Tuesday by his media aide, Dr. Bolaji Akinola, said the Minister stated this during a breakfast meeting organised by the Nigerian Chamber of Shipping, themed, “Unlocking Opportunities: The Lekki Deep Seaport Playbook for Trade and Shipping in Nigeria”.
In the statement, Oyetola explained that a central component of the current administration’s strategy is the nationwide application of the public-private partnership model and logistical efficiency demonstrated at the Lekki Deep Seaport.
According to him, the maritime industry stands at the heart of the nation’s economic aspirations, not merely as a conduit for trade, but as a catalyst for industrial growth, job creation, and regional integration.
“Our vision is clear: to build a modern, safe, efficient, and globally competitive maritime sector that fully unlocks Nigeria’s economic potential. Achieving this vision would require more than sound policies; it demands sustained investment in infrastructure, targeted capacity building, accelerated digital transformation, and strong, enduring partnerships with the private sector”, Oyetola said.
He highlighted Lekki Deep Seaport’s capacity to handle 1.2 million twenty-foot equivalent units and accommodate large vessels, noting that it has already generated thousands of direct and indirect jobs.
He also commended the completion of critical access roads, stating that for the first time in decades, they have freed major Nigerian ports from logistical bottlenecks.
“Cargo now moves out faster, investors move in with confidence, and trade flows without unnecessary delay”, the Minister stated.
The former Governor added that the port, which currently operates at only 20 per cent capacity, presents vast, untapped opportunities for investors.
Oyetola emphasised that the Lekki playbook is founded on five key pillars, namely, a strategic location, a robust public–private partnership framework, integrated transport links by road, rail, and inland waterways, supportive policies, and technology-driven operations.
To replicate this model nationwide, Oyetola confirmed that the Ministry is actively modernising Apapa and Tincan Island Ports and also upgrading the Eastern Ports in Onne, Calabar, and Rivers.
“Under the leadership of President Tinubu, this administration is committed to taking the lessons of Lekki and applying them nationwide to transform our entire port system into a network of modern, efficient, and competitive gateways.
“To this end, we are modernising the Western Ports in Apapa, upgrading the Eastern Ports in Onne, Calabar, and Rivers to stimulate balanced regional growth, and finalising the Port Community System, integrated with the National Single Window to create a paperless, transparent, and secure digital environment for all maritime stakeholders”, he stressed.
He emphasised that a strong national shipping fleet is essential to building local capacity and asserting Nigeria’s presence on global trade lanes, with the ultimate goal of establishing a National Flag Carrier.
The Minister concluded by stressing that the Lekki Deep Seaport serves as clear evidence of what can be achieved when policy, vision, investment, and execution align.
He urged all stakeholders to replicate, refine, and scale the model for the prosperity of Nigeria and the African continent.
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