Nigeria Lobbies For 'Category C' Place At IMO

By Abdullahi Sabiu

Nigeria has mounted lobby for the support of other maritime nations across the globe towards regaining its 'Category C' place at the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

Nigeria's Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, has solicited the support of Liberia's Minister of Transport, Sirleaf Ralph Tyler as part of the lobby at the ongoing 133rd Session of the IMO Council in London.

This development is coming on the heels of Oyetola 's Inauguration of an Inter-Ministerial Committee for the actualization of the noble quest to solidify Nigeria's standing in the comity of maritime nations. 

Nigerian officials say the effort is in keeping with the resolve of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to convert Nigeria's maritime potentials to actualities for national economic prosperity. 

Last week, it could be recalled, President Tinubu signed the instruments of accession for six Conventions of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), to infuse the governance best practices necessary for Nigeria’s access to the technical, human capital, and institutional development assistance that facilities election into the Category C confers. 

The IMO 'Category C' comprises  20 Countries that have special interests in maritime transport or navigation and whose election to the Council will ensure the representation of all major geographic areas of the world.

With this renewed move to get re-elected into the keenly contested  'Category C', Nigeria is poised to win back the prestige and concomitant benefits earned in 1975, 2001, and 2005 when the maritime country played a pivotal role in global Maritime policy shaping.