Daniel Terungwa 

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has identified marine environment management as a crucial factor that will enable the maritime sector to contribute to economic growth in the country.

The Minister noted that a clean and safe marine environment is the bedrock that ensures the entire maritime industry contributes significantly to the growth of a nation.

Amaechi stated this in a keynote address he presented during the formal exit from Public Service and the launch of a book by a former Marine Environment Management Department at the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Felicia Mogo in Lagos.

The book titled: “Regulating the Marine Environment of Africa for Sustainable Blue Economy – the Nigeria Scenario,” was written to celebrate her exit from public service.

Amaechi who participated virtually, said: “Maritime is key to national development and we can’t talk about this without the marine environment. It is in this area that Mogo has made impressive records with over two decades spent trying to make reforms in environmental assessment, especially for the oil and gas sector.”

Noting that the usual fear of most public servants is the uncertainty of life after service, the minister stressed that the basic thing is the contribution attained during one’s service years.

“Mogo has an impressive and well documented record which is why we are celebrating her today. She is an environmentalist and her pedigree has been evident on the global terrain where she has represented Nigeria and NIMASA admirably. You can’t conclude the functions of NIMASA or talk about maritime without talking about environmental issues and you can’t ignore the contribution of Mogo in that area,” he added.

Amaechi lauded Mogo’s contributions in marine environment management, stating that the industry will better appreciate her efforts now that she has exited public service.

Earlier, the chairperson of the occasion, Dr. Anne Ene-Ita stressed that it is imperative for the government to fully explore the potential of the blue economy, noting that giving credence to Mogo’s book will be a good way to show commitment to the sector.

The former Senior Special Adviser to the President on Aviation Reforms described Mogo as a national asset and a global personality on marine environment management.

“Mogo has been an energetic and enterprising young woman since her maiden employment in the Federal Ministry of Works. This book is worth having and we need to disseminate the book at secondary and tertiary levels to get young ones involved in maritime,” she said.

On his part, the High Commissioner of Kenya to Nigeria, Dr. Wilfred Machage, also graced the occasion where he posited that Mogo wasn’t only an asset to Nigeria but the African continent at large.

“There’s nothing more gratifying than sharing knowledge with a generation of young leaders who will be taking up similar roles as Mogo in both public and private sectors.

“Even upon her exit from public service, Mogo joins the coveted list of our celebrated scholars in the field of marine science and we all know that intellectuals are paragon of virtues and the cream of intelligentsia in all societies.”

According to him, the book will serve as a repertoire of knowledge, which will be an asset especially for those who are in the field of environmental science, marine ecology and general field of environmental studies.

“This important book acknowledges the importance of the marine environment and ecosystem as a life-support system for supplying resources that support livelihoods and economic development.

“African’s Agenda 2063 has identified the blue economy as the next to frontier to facilitate rapid economic transformation of the continent and of seeing the livelihoods of the present and future generations in a continent where 38 out of 55 countries are coastal states and collectively encompass vast ocean territories of an estimated 13million km,” he said.

During her 34 years of public service, Mogo served in various capacities in agencies, ministries and various international avenues contributing to the protection of Nigeria’s environment and giving the country recognition on the international level.