Switzerland pledges support for Nigeria’s bid for IMO Category ‘C’ seat

The Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy has received a letter of support from the Swiss government for Nigeria’s bid for the Category ‘C’ seat on the Council of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) for the 2026/2027 Biennium elections October/November this year.

The Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, H.E. Adegboyega Oyetola, CON, received the letter of endorsement on Thursday in his Office during a courtesy visit from Switzerland’s Ambassador to Nigeria, H.E. Patrick Felix Egloff noted that this marks a significant step forward for Nigeria’s campaign. 

Oyetola, who expressed happiness for the show of support from the Swiss government, stated that it is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the Federal Government to upholding international standards, adding that Nigeria’s election will contribute to a more robust and sustainable global maritime industry.

Continuing, Oyetola said Nigeria had 200 nautical miles of exclusive economic zone, which has been extended by another 16,300 kilometres to the Continental Shelf.  According to him, with such an endowment, Nigeria, by any standard, is supposed to be a maritime nation. 

To this, the Ministry, in collaboration with the World Bank, AU IBAR, the Kingdom of Norway, and other Stakeholders, developed a robust National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy that could face the test of time.

Speaking further, the Minister highlighted that the Federal Government is adopting a Public Private Partnership business model to bring about rapid development in the maritime sector, with the government holding a token equity. He identified investments in the nation’s inland waterways, like the supply of boats, dredging activities, and navigation

 In the area of safety and security of vessels, “The Deep Blue project, which is a surveillance structure, has assisted us in keeping our waters very safe. There’s been no piracy for the past three years, and we’re trying to sustain that. We try again to ensure that we extend the safety to even the Gulf of Guinea as part of our collaboration with other countries.” the Minister assured.

Speaking earlier, Swiss Ambassador to Nigeria, H.E. Patrick Felix Egloff, stated that their visit was prompted by an earlier correspondence from the Minister, Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy in April this year asking for support in Nigeria’s bid to clinch the Category ‘C’ seat on the IMO.

“I’m very glad to convey this letter of support; Switzerland is very happy to support you; you’re a very strong candidate. We support your candidacy, your commitment to multilateralism overall, and in particular in this field you bring. You’re a very important country”, Egloff noted.

With Switzerland’s endorsement, Nigeria’s campaign for the IMO Category ‘C’ Council seat gains further international momentum ahead of the elections slated for October/November 2025.

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