Stakeholders Outline Road Maps For Maritime Prosperity

Leaders in logistics and transport have canvassed urgent action to unlock the Gulf of Guinea’s maritime trade potential, positioning Cross River State as a new gateway for regional commerce.

The call came during the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Nigeria conference flagged off yesterday in Calabar.

The stakeholders from government, industry and academia gathered under the theme “Promoting Coastal Maritime Trade with Littoral Countries Along the Gulf of Guinea.”

In his presentation, national president of CILT Nigeria, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, described Calabar as “a city whose history and identity are deeply rooted in maritime trade” and said the timing of the discussion “is not only timely,it is critical.”

He stated that while the Gulf of Guinea links over 300 million people across Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Togo, and Cameroon, “intra-regional maritime trade remains significantly underdeveloped,” with most goods still moving by road instead of sea.

Nigeria, Oyeyemi argued, is “central to the future of Gulf of Guinea trade” given its 200 million-plus population, major ports including Apapa, Tin Can, Onne, Warri, and Lekki Deep Sea Port, and more than 10,000 km of inland waterways.

“These are not small advantages. They position Nigeria as the natural hub of regional maritime trade,” he said. However, he stressed that “potential alone does not create prosperity. Execution does.”

The keynote outlined five key constraints holding back progress: weak indigenous coastal shipping despite the 2003 Cabotage Act, high port costs and inefficiency leading to cargo diversion, persistent maritime security concerns, regulatory and documentation bottlenecks, and poor port-hinterland connectivity that has left Calabar Port underutilized.

Oyeyemi urged full implementation of the Cabotage framework and faster adoption of a Maritime Single Window to “reduce delays, improve transparency, enhance competitiveness.”

Cross River State was singled out as “uniquely positioned to lead,” with Calabar Port, proximity to Cameroon, navigable inland waterways, and a functional Free Trade Zone.

In her remarks chairman Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport The (CILT) Dr.Anifiok Iron  said the state “has all the ingredients of a coastal trade powerhouse” and that CILT Nigeria “stands ready to support this effort.”

He concluded with five points: Nigeria has immense potential, the barriers are solvable, Calabar can become a regional hub, AfCFTA offers a $3.4 trillion opportunity, and “the time to act is now.”

Echoing that vision, the CILT Cross River State chairman said the conference is “more than a conference, it is a strategic platform of vision” meant to move from “intention to implementation.”

He highlighted the South-South region’s “strategic coastlines, navigable waterways, abundant natural resources,” while warning that local participation in international trade remains limited and too many resources are exported raw, resulting in “missed opportunities for industrialization, job creation, and technological advancement.”

Representing the Cross River State governor, the state commissioner for Transportation, Pastor Ekpenyong Ene Cobham framed the state’s littoral advantage as “a masterpiece of divine establishment” and a “gateway to international waters.”

Citing a prefeasibility study, he revealed that Ikang Beach in Bakassi records “twice the number of daily passengers 1,940 compared to Calabar’s 827″, calling it evidence of “a thriving and competitive maritime transport sector.”

He said the planned Bakassi Deep Sea Port would serve as a catalyst for agro-processing zones, manufacturing hubs, export-oriented industries, and allied services.