The Nigeria Shipowners Association is mobilising stakeholders to make this year’s Nigerian Maritime Expo, NIMAREX, bigger than last year’s relaunch, with plans to attract more foreign investors and showcase Nigeria’s maritime potential.
In an interview, NSA President and NIMAREX Chairman Otunba Shola Adewunmi said the biennial exhibition returned in November 2024 after years of dormancy, and preparations for the 2026 edition are already underway.
“NIMAREX is an industry event. Although the initiative came from Nigeria Shipowners Association, it contains everything about maritime.
It’s an exhibition where we showcase the opportunities we have in Nigeria for people to see and to bring investment into the country,” Adewunmi said.
He explained that the “silence” around the event was due to a hiatus before last year’s revival. “There was a programme and it took place last year. So there has not been silence. There was silence for some time, but we brought back NIMAREX last year,” he stated.
Adewunmi identified funding and perception issues as major challenges that stalled NIMAREX in previous years.
According to him, the event was originally conceptualised by NISA, the mother association of NSA, and some stakeholders saw it as a NISA-only project.
Government agencies also reduced financial support over time, forcing the 2024 edition to be self-financed.
“We are getting more closer to the authorities… for them to continue with what they started years back,” he said. NSA now intends to reach out to industry stakeholders who understand NIMAREX’s value and encourage wider participation and sponsorship.
The 2026 edition is scheduled for November, around the 17th or 18th, the same period as last year’s event. Adewunmi said the goal is to expand participation, draw foreign investors, and project Nigeria’s maritime assets to the global market.
On policy advice, Adewunmi urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to engage experienced maritime experts to revitalise the sector. “Aside from oil and gas, maritime is the next thing in Nigeria.
If we revitalise this industry, definitely there will be more employment. More jobs will be created and the finances will increase… what we generate in maritime cannot be compared with any other industry in Nigeria,” he advised.
