A maritime entrepreneur, Ganiyu Balogun, has challenged candidates for the 2027 elections to embrace the marine economy and water tourism as tools for creating jobs and reducing poverty, if elected.

Balogun, popularly known as Tarzan, gave the charge in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lagos.

Balogun, the President of the Association of Tourist Boat Operators and Water Transporters of Nigeria (ATBOWATON), said the sector could employ millions of youths if developed.

He said thousands of young Nigerians roaming the streets could find employment in boat operation, tourism, fishing and allied services.

According to him, developing the waterways would ease pressure on the labour market and reduce the poverty ravaging many communities.

“Poverty is high because we have refused to use the resources around us. Our waters can feed and employ millions,” he said.

Balogun criticised politicians who, he said, distributed money and food items during campaigns instead of proposing lasting economic solutions.

He described such gestures as deceptive, saying they impoverished citizens further and reduced elections to transactions.

“Sharing rice and cash during elections is an insult to the people. Give them jobs, not handouts,” he said.

He urged candidates at all levels to design programmes that would turn coastal and riverine communities into hubs of economic activity.

Balogun said water tourism alone could attract investors, generate foreign exchange and lift entire communities out of poverty.

He noted that countries with fewer water resources than Nigeria earned billions of dollars annually from marine tourism.

“Other nations are smiling to the bank with their waters. We are here begging for survival on top of wealth,” he said.

The ATBOWATON president called on the electorate to interrogate the economic plans of those seeking their votes.

He said the people must hold leaders accountable and reject candidates without a clear agenda for job creation.

“The power to change our story lies with the voters. They must choose leaders with vision and courage,” he said.

Balogun expressed optimism that a deliberate investment in the blue economy would reduce unemployment and secure the nation’s future. (NAN)

President, Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA) Nigeria, Dr Odunayo Ani, has called for strong institutions, predictable financing and greater women’s participation to drive Nigeria’s maritime economy.

Ani made the call at the 8th edition of the Searchlight Magazine Leadership Summit, with the theme, “Transformative Leadership for Sustainable Growth: Driving Innovation, Institutional Excellence and National Development”, held in Ikeja on Saturday.

She said Nigeria’s blue economy could be strengthened by mobilising and protecting capital through bankable projects, clear regulations and credible governance to attract investors.

Ani, a former Director of Finance at the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), said Nigeria’s blue economy covered shipping, ports, logistics, offshore services and energy.

She noted that the maritime sector had the potential to create jobs, generate revenue and reduce the country’s dependence on oil earnings.

She said “capital follows trust and confidence”, urging stakeholders to ensure transparent reporting, proper risk analysis and accountability to make maritime projects attractive to local and foreign investors.

On financing, she identified public funding, public-private partnerships (PPP), blue bonds and foreign direct investment (FDI) as key sources of funding for the sector.

She also highlighted the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund, noting its equity and contribution requirements for accessing the facility.

Ani stressed the importance of women’s participation in the maritime sector, saying WISTA Nigeria was promoting mentorship, capacity building and women’s inclusion in policy-making.

She said gender-diverse companies tended to perform better, urging stakeholders to create opportunities for women and young people to participate in the transformation of the maritime industry.

Ani urged the government and other stakeholders to develop investable projects, strengthen institutions and promote inclusion to enable the maritime sector to deliver jobs, trade revenue and national prosperity.

Similarly, Capt. Liav Zilberman, General Manager, LTT Coastal and Marine Services Ltd., urged stakeholders to prioritise investment in indigenous marine capacity to strengthen Nigeria’s blue economy.

Zilberman said local marine service companies were critical to reducing capital flight and creating jobs in coastal communities.

He said that with the right financing, predictable policies and strong institutional support, Nigerian companies could compete effectively in vessel support, offshore logistics and coastal trade across West Africa.

He added that partnerships among the government, private sector and financial institutions would be crucial to developing bankable projects that could attract investment and ensure sustainable growth in the maritime sector.

Theodora Nweze, President, Women in Maritime Africa (WIMAfrica), called for transformative leadership to drive innovation, institutional excellence and sustainable growth in Nigeria’s maritime sector.

Nweze said visionary and ethical leadership was needed to turn challenges into opportunities, adding that transformative leadership should focus on impact, transparency, accountability and inclusive growth.

She said WIMA Nigeria remained committed to advancing women’s participation in the maritime sector, adding that empowering women to lead and innovate would benefit families, organisations and the wider economy.

Nweze urged stakeholders to build partnerships and develop practical solutions to harness Nigeria’s maritime potential for job creation and economic diversification.

She congratulated the award recipients for their excellence and service and commended the organisers for sustaining a platform for dialogue and recognition.

The Publisher of Searchlight News, Lola Adesokan, urged leaders to prioritise institutional excellence, innovation and service to drive sustainable growth and national development.

Adesokan said true leadership was measured by impact rather than titles and should focus on strengthening institutions and creating opportunities.

She noted that innovation without strong institutions could not deliver lasting progress, stressing the need for leaders who combined creativity with accountability, professionalism and commitment to the greater good.

Adesokan said the summit celebrated individuals making meaningful contributions across sectors and called for institutions that rewarded competence, valued people and created opportunities for young professionals to lead.

Dignitaries and stakeholders at the event included Dr Ovien Imonitie, Chairman, Stakeholders Committee on National Single Window; the Managing Director, Mimov Global Ventures Ltd.; Rollens Macfoy, Continental Vice President, WIMAfrica; and Funmilayo Loremikan, a maritime expert.

Others were Rev. Nicodemus Odolo, President, Ship Owners Association, Lagos; Temitope Adeyele-Akinlabi, a maritime expert; and Mr Chukumalu Emeka, Chairman of the occasion and Chairman, Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Apapa Chapter.(NAN)

Nigeria’s crude oil and condensate production rose by 0.4 per cent to 1,677,777 barrels per day (bpd) in August 2026.

The Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) disclosed this in its crude oil and condensate statistics report released on Sunday.

The commission said crude oil production, excluding condensate, averaged 1,500,190 bpd during the month under review.

It added that Nigeria met its Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) crude oil quota for the fourth consecutive month.

According to the report, combined crude oil and condensate production fluctuated between a daily low of 1.

The report showed that Bonny Terminal recorded the highest average production at 320.04 thousand barrels per day (kbpd).

Forcados Terminal followed closely, recording an average daily production of 317.40 kbpd during the month.

 “Qua Iboe Terminal recorded an average production of 171.72kbpd of crude oil and condensates,” the report said.

It added that Escravos Oil Terminal recorded a daily average production of 131.71 kbpd during the period.

Bonga ranked fifth among the highest-producing terminals, with an average output of 92.50 kbpd of crude oil.

The NUPRC attributed the modest increase in August production largely to the resolution of operational challenges involving the Single Buoy Mooring (SBM) at the Erha field.

The commission said the challenges had adversely affected production performance in the preceding month.

It explained that restoring normal evacuation and production operations at the Erha field contributed positively to overall production volumes in August.

“Production activities across most other producing assets remained relatively stable,” the report said.

It said operators continued implementing measures to optimise production efficiency, maintain asset integrity and minimise operational disruptions.

The commission added that routine production and crude evacuation operations were generally sustained across the industry during the period.

 “These supported the observed improvement in output,” it said.

The report described the August increase as modest but said it reflected continuing industry efforts to address operational bottlenecks.

It said stakeholders were also working to restore affected production capacity and support sustained growth in the coming months.

The commission said operators remained focused on improving asset reliability and operational resilience across Nigeria’s upstream petroleum sector.

It added that intervention programmes were being advanced to strengthen production performance and reduce disruptions.

The August performance, according to the NUPRC, underscored the importance of resolving operational constraints promptly.

It also highlighted the need for effective asset management and continued collaboration among industry stakeholders.

Such measures, the commission said, remained critical to safeguarding and improving Nigeria’s crude oil production capacity. (NAN)