The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has greenlit a series of strategic maritime infrastructure and security initiatives valued at approximately ₦286 billion. This comprehensive developmental package aims to modernize Nigeria’s port terminals, optimize navigational safety, and aggressively harness the untapped wealth within the country’s blue economy. The sweeping capital interventions received executive authorization during a council convention presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
While providing updates to State House correspondents on behalf of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, explained that the executive approvals comprise four distinct, high-impact projects designed to revitalize international trade corridors. Among these interventions is the procurement of two state-of-the-art marine pollution control vessels, costing around ₦59.05 billion. These specialized ships will target plastic waste, oil spills, and general debris across coastal waters, creeks, and domestic channels, ensuring strict environmental preservation alongside safer seafaring pathways.
Additionally, the council sanctioned ₦80.03 billion for the acquisition of six nimble pilot cutter boats. These specific craft will facilitate the secure transit of marine pilots to and from inbound global carriers, minimizing risk during harbor entries and maximizing operational synergy with the Nigerian Ports Authority. To further limit occupational hazards, an allocation of ₦34.06 billion (roughly $16.46 million) was designated for purchasing two heavy-duty firefighting vessels capable of responding to blazes at industrial jetties, oil terminals, and offshore carrier decks.
The largest individual component of the maritime package focuses on the capital and maintenance dredging of the vital Escravos Channel, valued at ₦112.85 billion. Implemented via a Public-Private Partnership framework, this dredging operation will systematically eliminate underwater silt and navigation barriers, accelerate cargo vessel turnaround times, and bolster Nigeria’s status as the premium shipping hub across the West African sub-region. Government officials emphasized that these structural investments reinforce the administration’s long-term vision of establishing an environmentally sustainable, highly lucrative maritime value chain.
