In Abuja, the Nigerian Minister of the Navy and the Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, urged the international maritime community to focus on fairness, justice and increased support for developing countries in the process of decarbonization of the maritime sector.
Speaking at the 84th session of the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Marine Protection Committee in London, Minister Adegboyega Oyetola reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to reducing emissions, while specifying that this commitment remains conditional on the adoption of mechanisms that take into account the economic constraints of developing nations.
According to a statement published by his special adviser, Bolaji Akinola, the minister stressed the need to align the 2050 carbon neutrality objective with the sustainable development goals.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Adegboyega Oyetola met with the Secretary General of the IMO, Arsenio Dominguez, as well as the President of the General Transport Authority of Saudi Arabia, Fawaz Al Sehali. These discussions focused on strengthening cooperation on maritime security, developing skills, promoting the blue economy and implementing a fair and inclusive energy transition.
The Minister also reaffirmed Nigeria’s desire to consolidate a constructive partnership with the IMO, focusing on maritime safety, institutional strengthening and sustainable development.
For his part, Arsenio Dominguez praised Nigeria’s efforts, particularly in the fight against piracy in the Gulf of Guinea and the improvement of regional coordination. He also highlighted the country’s progress in port modernization, digitization and human capital development.
The exchanges with the Saudi side have, for their part, highlighted the strengthening of bilateral relations and the common desire for cooperation within the IMO.
Maritime transport, which provides between 80 and 90% of world trade, remains a pillar of the global economy, but also contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, to the ap of 2 to 3%. The transition to zero-emission shipping aims to drastically reduce this environmental impact.
source : APA news
