Mr Idongesit Udoh, the Country Lead and Programme Adviser, Global Digital Access Programme, UK Government, says Nigeria’s blue economy future is the nexus between the blue and digital economy.
Udoh said this at the African Maritime Art Exhibition (AMAE) with the theme: ‘The Convergence: Maritime Meets Information and Communication Technology ( ICT)’, on Friday in Lagos.
Udoh tasked the Federal Govemment on strategic investment in innovations that would bring about the sustainability of the blue economy.
He noted that both joined together was actually the future that would help the country realise the potential of the Blue Economy.
Udoh spoke on the topic: ‘ICT Disruption for the Sustainability of the Blue Economy ‘.
According to him, the investment in innovations will bring about the resilience and efficiency of the blue economy and every other positive things to come.
“ICT is an enabler and there are a lot of areas using ICT to aid growth in the blue economy for transportation, tourism and others.
“There is surveillance using Artificial Intelligence, internet of things; cyber security, documentation and storage cloud computing.
“There is also decision making which is on big data and data analytics on climate related challenges. These are areas we can specially deploy technology to tackle local development challenge,” he said.
He pointed out that the creation of a Ministry dedicated to Marine and Blue Economy was a step in the right direction.
“The challenges seen in the sector such as infrastructure, capacity building, finance, funding, it is clear that these challenges must be cleared to drive the adoption that was needed,” he said.
He said to aid technology adoption, there was the need for capacity building, exposing key policy makers on possibilities within the ICT sector and how to shore up infrastructure capacity to actually accommodate the level of ICT adoption that was needed.
Mr Mohammed Bello-Koko, the Managing Director, the Nigerian Ports Authority, noted that the lack of port community system in Nigeria had made the nation’s port the most inefficient port in Africa.
Bello-Koko represented by Mr Charles Okaga, Port Manager, Lagos Port Complex, Apapa, said a review with ports in Ghana, Benin Republic and Togo was done and this showed a drastic drop-in dwell time of cargo from 21 to three days.
“This was achieved because they have a functional port community system. For the success of the system, it also require the Power Holding Company of Nigeria to ensure consistent power supply in the port.
“This will also ensure Nigeria comply with the
International Maritime Organisation instrument that frowns at vessels that steam in the port.
“What happens in the developing world is that one’s vessels comes within the territorial water of a nation, it switches off and connect to the power sources of the port and the port powers the vessel until it leaves.
“The benefits of this is environmental safety, cleanliness and also saving the vessel diseal. This also reduces the cost of doing business at the port which leads to total productivity of the country port,” he said.
Earlier, Mrs Ezinne Azunna, Founder, African Maritime Art Exhibition (AMAE) noted that the aim of the conference was to help stakeholders find ICT solutions that would drive safer, swifter, more secure and cost effective operations and innovations.
“AMAE uses photograph, textile art, paint, sculpture and other motifs/subjects to tell stories and support caused around the blue economy.
“It remains the singular exhibition in Africa built around the portraiture of the blue economy and its causes, using aesthetic and semiotic elements,” she said.
