Dangote Executive Urges Innovation, Collaboration to Boost Nigeria’s Maritime Competitiveness
The Managing Director, Ports Operations Strategic Unit, Dangote Industries Limited, Akin Omole, has called for greater innovation and collaboration among maritime stakeholders to improve operational efficiency and strengthen Nigeria’s competitiveness in the global maritime industry.
Omole made the call while speaking at the 2026 Maritime Training Summit and Awards organised by the Association of Maritime Journalists of Nigeria (AMJON) in Lagos.
The summit, which had as its theme, “The Power of Innovation in a Future-Ready Maritime Training Agenda,” brought together key stakeholders in Nigeria’s maritime and shipping sectors to examine emerging trends and strategies for building a more efficient and sustainable industry.
Omole said innovation in the maritime sector should not be limited to the adoption of new technologies, but should also encompass infrastructure development, human capital and operational processes.
According to him, the rapidly changing nature of global trade requires the maritime industry to continuously adapt and embrace innovative approaches capable of improving productivity and service delivery.
He urged government agencies, terminal operators, shipping companies and other industry stakeholders to strengthen collaboration in addressing persistent operational challenges.
Such collaboration, he said, would help stakeholders develop practical solutions that could improve efficiency across Nigeria’s maritime value chain and enhance the country’s position in international trade.
The Dangote executive also stressed the importance of sustained investment in training and human capital development, noting that emerging technologies could only deliver meaningful results when deployed by competent and properly trained maritime professionals.
He said developing a future-ready workforce should therefore remain a priority for both government and private-sector operators in the industry.
Omole maintained that sustained innovation, supported by effective collaboration and continuous capacity building, was essential to creating a safer, more efficient and globally competitive maritime industry.
He added that a stronger maritime sector would contribute significantly to Nigeria’s economic growth by facilitating trade, attracting investment and improving the efficiency of the country’s ports and logistics systems.
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