BULLION LECTURE, AS PROF UTOMI, CHAIRS FLOC, CONFERENCE IN LAGOS-JAMOH, TO SPEAKS ON BANKING ON BLUE ECONOMY
Between now and April 24, 2023, Nigerians will have the opportunity of listening to Bashir Jamoh, Director General , Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA and immediate past President of the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration, CIOTA and Pat Utomi, a Professor of Political Economy at the Nigerian Business School, in Lagos, the nation’s Commercial nerve Centre and Management expert.
The Workshops packaged by two different Organisations are going to dwell on two sensitive topics that are germane to the Nigerian economy: Banking on Blue Economy for Nigeria’s Economic Development and Love of Nation’s Building. While Ray Echebiri, a former Editor of Champion Newspapers and founder of Centre for Journalism , organisers of the Banking for the Blue Economy conference had said that Tamoh, the acclaimed democrat and Director General of NIMASA, has been selected to speak on it , Atinuke Odjenima , the Convener of the 2023, edition of ‘’For Love Country, FLOC’’, Nation Building Conference, whould be chaired by Prof. Utomi.
Many see the Centre for Jornalism topic: Banking in a Blue Economy as very apt because of the pains which Nigerians have gone through over the last couple of months because of the new naira design and naira swap policies intiated by Godwin Emefiele, governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, at the instance of Presient Muhammadu Buhari.
The policy , according to informed sources was promised on preventing vote buying in the lead-up to the February 25, 2023, Presidential and National Assembly elections, Kidnapping for ransom, and frustrating sponsors of terrorists in the country but that was how far the apex bank could go.
The policy may have misfired going by what has been on in the money deposit banks, MDB, where the officials would sit and wait for money to come from the CBN. Wole Soyinka, a Professor and Nobel Laureate may have painted a gory image of the situation when he said ‘’you can’t buy Newspapers, popcorn, groundnuts, let alone pay plantain. The Ogun state born Literature Professor, had said that that the situation was so bad that the farmer could not even pay for transportation of the goods from his farm to the markets.
Prof. Soyinka , may have been forced to speak out when he sent a text to the bank and a cheque came back and there was a response from the bank manager,we have no cash.
Many see the scarcity of the bank Notes situation of the country as a threat to the Blue Economy being championed by the NIMASA, as a way to diversify the nation’s economy from being an oil dependent nation. Given the importance attached to the Blue Economy project by Jamoh led maritime regulatory agency may have informed why he has repeatedly called for deeper participation of the private sector, described as the engine of the Nigerian economy, I the Blue economy initiative to harness greater benefits from the nation’s maritime industry.
He had repeatedly given assurance to those that cares to know much about the Deep Blue economy initiative that the government had already secured the Land, water and air assets for the nation’s maritime domain security which has made the industry safer and moved the Nigeria from the list of countries with high incidence of attacks by Pirates and sea robbers.
Being an expert on the Blue economy, he has at different times opened up on the copious opportunities in’’ Shipbuilding, ship repairs, vessel ownership, channeling, stevedoring and recycling’’ . This is in addition to haulage, fishing, marine biology, marine geology, underwater engineering, ship brokerage, import , export and freight forwarding, as areas that have more openings for more investments that will benefit the economy in the establishment of businesses within the value chain , create employment and further boost the country’s foreign exchange earnings for the Federal government and private concerns.
The Forward News findings shows that the 36 states of the Federation have navigable inland water ways carrying huge resources that could generate wealth.There is no gainsaying the fact that the Nigerian waters are linked to Benin Republic and four other West and Central African countries that could give ancillary support to other non- maritime sectors of the nation’s economy like agriculture, tourism and other trading ventures. This is why the banks must be alive to their duties for the Blue economy initiative of NIMASA, under the Leadership of NIMASA, to succeed.
Nigerians, may need to know more about. banking on Blue economy’’ as the NIMASA helmsman shed more light on it at the Bullion Lecture to be organised by the Centre for Journalism scheduled to hold on Thursday, April 13, 2023, at the Civic centre , Victoria Island Lagos.
While the NIMASA, boss is expected to do justice to the Blue economy initiative for the nation’s economic development, in the Bullion Lecture, Prof. Utomi, who is to chair’s FLOC , Symposium, scheduled to take place on April 24, 2023, in Lagos, according to Odjenima, the Convener, will open the discussions on nation-building in Nigeria for the discussants to key in.
The FLOC symposium Convener is optimistic that that the seminar will equip the citizenry with the right orientation to take proactive steps towards nation-building and to encourage developmental conversations and re-orientation that will catalyze the country’s growth and prosperity in the future.
He noted that ‘’the symposium will draw policy makers attention to priorities that will ensure sustainable economic growth, prioritize government investment in human capital development, particular, in such areas as agriculture, manufacturing, energy, and transportation and improving access to quality education and health care services. He noted that this is the only way that Nigerians can acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to compete in the global economy.
