The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, says President Bola Tinubu’s administration has changed Nigeria’s maritime sector trajectory through landmark reforms, urging sustained efforts to consolidate the gains. Oyetola said this on Wednesday in Abuja at the opening of the 18th International Maritime Seminar for Judges. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the seminar organised by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), under the auspices of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, was in collaboration with the National Judicial Institute (NJI).
Oyetola said Tinubu’s administration had laid strong institutional, regulatory and economic foundations to unlock the country’s marine and blue economy for sustainable national development, economic diversification and increased private sector investments. He lauded the Nigerian Shippers’ Council for initiating and sustaining the international seminar for judges. He described it as one of Nigeria’s foremost platforms for strengthening maritime jurisprudence, enhancing judicial capacity and promoting excellence in maritime justice.
“President Tinubu’s administration has fundamentally changed the trajectory of the maritime sector through deliberate reforms that are already delivering measurable economic and institutional results. “Our responsibility now is to sustain these reforms by strengthening institutions, promoting legal certainty and expanding opportunities across the blue economy. “A predictable judicial system remains indispensable to protecting investments and supporting Nigeria’s aspiration to become Africa’s leading maritime nation,” he said.
Oyetola said that the seminar remained crucial in equipping judicial officers with contemporary knowledge required to address emerging issues in international maritime law and global shipping practices. He urged judges to continually update their knowledge on autonomous vessels, digital shipping, artificial intelligence-driven maritime operations, maritime security and evolving international environmental regulations. “Rapid technological advancement is creating unprecedented legal questions relating to liability, navigational responsibility, insurance, collision regulations and allocation of responsibility when autonomous vessels malfunction.
“The courts will increasingly adjudicate disputes involving decarbonisation, environmental c…
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