New Telegraph

Ministry Initiating Projects To Tackle Challenges In Marine Sector – Oyetola

…Presents N12.2 Billion 2025 Budget To National Assembly

…Appeals for more funds for Infrastructural development

The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has disclosed that the Ministry has initiated several projects and programmes aimed at addressing many challenges in the Marine sector.

Oyetola, who made the disclosure during the presentation of N12.2 billion 2025 budget to the National Assembly Joint Committee on Marine Transport, therefore, asked the lawmakers to increase the budget of the Ministry for development infrastructure.

He explained that out of the total budget sum, the Ministry proposed N11,770,533,003 for capital projects while N453,856,327 is for overhead, a provision he described as inadequate to drive accomplish the development objectives of the Ministry within the fiscal year.

Accordingly, the Minister urged the National Assembly to support the Ministry’s infrastructural development by increasing the Ministry’s 2025 capital budget appropriation and overhead to enable it harness the untapped potentials of the Marine and Blue Economy sector.

He said: “As a newly created Ministry, our initial focus is to set up enduring structures and systems for the effective management of the blue economy sector.

“The notable deficiencies in the sector such as general infrastructure decay, silted river courses, inadequate fish production, and inadequate river crafts require major attention,” he observed.

“Quantum investment through the capital budget is necessary for the Ministry to deliver on its lofty mandate and potential. Greater budgetary provision is therefore advocated.

“The proposed total Capital Budget of N11,770,533,003 (Eleven Billion, Seven Hundred and Seventy Million, Five Hundred and Thirty-three Thousand, Three Naira) and Overhead of N453,856,327 (Four Hundred and Fifty-three Million, Eight Hundred and Fifty-six Thousand, Three hundred and Twenty-seven Naira) though inadequate is for your kind consideration”.

On some projects the ministry wants to embark on with the 2025 budget, Oyetola said: “As a quick response to the spate of boat mishaps on our inland waterways occasioned by increased traffic on waterways, the Ministry has targeted the provision of life jackets to the Riverine Communities in the states to boost the safety of passengers.

“Also, major programme to replace rickety wooden boats used for commercial transport with standardized crafts and capital dredging at selected locations on our major rivers are planned for 2025.

“Dredging is desirable to ensure that the 10,000 kilometres of our waterways are navigable because currently, only about 3,800 kilometres are navigable. Water Transportation is cheaper and safer but we need to invest in the dredging to get the desired result we want for the sector.

“Also, pursuant to its mandate and the charge given by Mr. President, the Ministry is developing Dry Ports at Ijebu-Ode and Moniya in Ogun State and Oyo State respectively.

“These IDPs are targeted for fast tracked delivery to decongest the Western Port System. Design consultancies for the project are on-going.”

The Minister, further noted that the 2025 Budget is tagged “Budget of Restoration: Securing Peace, Rebuilding Prosperity”; therefore the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and its Agencies under the 2025 Budget seek to consolidate and sustain on the achievements and performances recorded in the immediate past year by focusing on: Ports Infrastructural Development, Increased fish production, Maritime Safety and Security, Information Technology Deployment, Human Capacity Building, and Effective Technical and Economic Regulation to ensure the strengthening of blue economy in Nigeria”.

On the agencies which were physically present at the budget presentation, Oyetola, told the politicians “that three (3) of the Agencies under the Ministry, namely: NPA, NIMASA, and NSC, are fully self-funding and make significant remittances to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF/TSA).

He also pointed out that the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron derive their funding from both the FGN Budget and Internally Generated Revenue while on the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), the Minister said: “Based on my passionate plea has been readmitted into the budget for funding albeit erroneously under the Federal Ministry of Transport. I trust that you will rectify this.”

Also, the Minister said he was counting on the cooperation of the Assembly members to ensure that the five Agencies under the Fisheries and Aquaculture sector (Institutes and Colleges) fully come under the Ministry in the 2025 Budget.

While appreciating the members of the Joint Committee for their attention at the budget presentation, Oyetola urged them to consider the propositions and note the very compelling needs of the Ministry for prompt consideration.

Speaking after the budget presentation, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Marine and Blue Economy, Sanni Eshilokun, promised that the Ministry would be given the needed support to succeed, noting that it was truly being underfunded at the moment.

He urged the Ministry to begin now to engage stakeholders to ensure it gets the needed funds to match delivery its mandates in 2026.

The Joint Committee is made up of the Senate Committee on Marine Transport and House Committees on Ports and Harbour, Marine Safety, Education and Administration; Inland Waterways and Committee on Shipping Services.

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