By Ime Silas
The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA), Dr. Pius Akutah, MON, has expressed the agency’s commitment to supporting the growth of shippers in Akwa Ibom State and reposition the state to benefit from Nigeria’s emerging blue economy.
Dr. Akutah made the commitment during a strategic engagement at the Uyo Port Office, where he met with the President of the Nigerian Shippers’ Association, Akwa Ibom State Chapter, Dr. Howard Usen, the Uyo Port Officer, Mrs. Molly Asanga, and other critical stakeholders in the maritime sector.
The visit, described by stakeholders as a significant moment for the maritime and shipping community in Akwa Ibom State, provided a platform to discuss the challenges, opportunities and largely untapped maritime potential of the state.
Speaking during the engagement, Dr. Akutah said the blue economy must move beyond mere conversations and become a practical driver of national development, investment, employment and prosperity.
He shared valuable insights from international experiences, particularly developments in China and other economies where maritime infrastructure and the blue economy have become powerful instruments of economic growth, noting that Nigeria, and Akwa Ibom in particular, has no reason not to replicate such successes.
The NPERA boss said he was concerned about the infrastructure gaps observed in Akwa Ibom’s maritime space, especially the lack of proper anchorage facilities for vessels operating within the state’s waters and the absence of a functional jetty to accommodate fishing trawlers and other maritime operations.
Dr. Akutah further noted that at a time when Nigeria’s economy is under pressure and the Federal Government is pushing for diversification away from crude oil, expanding export capacity, strengthening local production and connecting businesses to international markets must become national priorities.
He therefore assured that NPERA will work with the Nigerian Shippers’ Association and other stakeholders to strengthen capacity, address regulatory bottlenecks and promote a more efficient port economic system that supports shippers and exporters.
Responding, the President of the Nigerian Shippers’ Association, Akwa Ibom State Chapter, Dr. Howard Usen, commended the Director-General for the visit and reaffirmed the association’s commitment to sensitizing shippers, strengthening their capacity and helping businesses take advantage of emerging opportunities in shipping and international trade.
Dr. Usen explained that many local producers and exporters in the state have goods with high export potential but are hindered by challenges relating to packaging, financing, market access, logistics and regulatory compliance, which the association is ready to help address.
He also issued a call to action to business owners, producers and exporters in Akwa Ibom State to engage with the association.
“Are you already involved in shipping? Are you planning to export? Do you have agricultural produce, manufactured goods or other products with export potential but face challenges with packaging, financing, market access, logistics or regulatory requirements?
The Nigerian Shippers’ Association, Akwa Ibom State Chapter, is ready to engage with you. Come forward. Let us understand your challenges, identify opportunities and explore practical ways of working together to move your business forward,” Dr. Usen stressed.
According to him, the vision of the association is to build a stronger shipping community, promote export-oriented enterprises and position Akwa Ibom State to benefit meaningfully from Nigeria’s emerging blue economy.
“The future of our economy cannot depend on consumption alone. We must produce, process, ship and export. Together, we can turn Akwa Ibom’s maritime potential into real economic prosperity,” Dr. Usen declared.
Other stakeholders at the meeting also harped on the urgent need to establish a seaport in Akwa Ibom State and develop a functional jetty, stressing that the gaps, beyond being challenges, represent significant economic opportunities waiting to be harnessed through strategic investment.
Akwa Ibom State, with over 129-kilometre coastline, the longest in Nigeria, is considered one of the most naturally endowed states for maritime development. Yet, despite the presence of the Ibaka Deep Seaport project and its strategic location in the Gulf of Guinea, the state is yet to fully realize its maritime destiny due to years of underinvestment and policy inconsistency.