Nigeria will join the global maritime community to mark the 2025 World Maritime Day on Thursday, 25 September, in Lagos.
The commemoration, organised under the auspices of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, will be held under the theme “Our Ocean, Our Obligation, Our Opportunity.”
The annual event aims to draw attention to the shared responsibility of safeguarding the oceans, ensuring their sustainable use, and preserving them for future generations. It also highlights the vast economic and social opportunities that healthy marine ecosystems provide.
Speaking ahead of the celebration, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, CON, stressed the importance of closer collaboration between citizens and government in harnessing the country’s maritime potential.
In a statement to mark the occasion, the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Arsenio Dominguez, underlined the ocean’s critical role in regulating the climate, sustaining biodiversity, and supporting international trade. He cautioned that human-driven pressures—including pollution, global warming, acidification and overfishing—are placing marine ecosystems under unprecedented strain.
Dominguez called for urgent global cooperation to curb pollution, protect marine life and promote sustainable practices.
“While human activity has caused the damage, it also holds the key to restoring the ocean—presenting both a responsibility and an opportunity for a healthier, safer future,” he said.
The Lagos event is expected to bring together maritime stakeholders from across Nigeria and beyond to reflect on the challenges and opportunities presented by the oceans, and to reaffirm a collective obligation to secure their sustainable future.
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