Dr Mobereola Extols Virtues of Women in Maritime As NIMASA Commemorates 2026 IWD in Lagos

The Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Dayo Mobereola, has poured encomiums on women operating in the maritime industry, charging them to take the centre stage in Nigeria’s budding blue economy.

Mobereola gave his goodwill message at a ceremony to mark the 2026 International Women’s Day (IWD), held in Victoria Island, Lagos on Thursday, under the theme: “Give to Gain.”

The event drew female maritime executives and operators from the Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA), Women in Maritime Association (WIMA), Women in Logistics and Transport (WILAT), the Maritime Arbitrators Association of Nigeria (MAAN), and Women in Maritime in West and Central Africa (WIMOWCA). Secondary school students and cadets, facilitated by the Founder of Ocean Ambassadors, Hon. Olaitan Williams, also graced the occasion.

Describing women as goal-getters whose contributions to Nigeria’s maritime sector have stood tall over the years, the NIMASA boss called on them to take advantage of the vast potential of the blue economy and assert control, just as they have done in the banking sector.

“Women cannot exist without the men and vice versa, but when the women focus on anything, they perform better than the men. This is why NIMASA wants to seriously and intentionally encourage women in management positions,” he said.

Mobereola also drew attention to sectors within maritime where female presence remains conspicuously absent, stating that NIMASA was deliberately targeting such areas to entrench inclusiveness.

“There are some areas where you wonder why there are no women at all in maritime, and these are the areas we are focusing on to ensure that we have inclusiveness, and to also tell a statement which I observed in NIMASA, when you give a woman a task, you can go to sleep,” he said.

On the blue economy, the NIMASA DG was emphatic that the sector’s current stage of development represents a wide-open window of opportunity for women.

“Another plan that we have in NIMASA is to seriously and intentionally encourage women participation in the blue economy sector. We all know that the blue economy is at its infancy in Nigeria and Africa, so it is an opportunity for women. They should come into the sector and ensure they take full control. You have the capacity, the energy, the drive and intellectually, you have it more than men,” Mobereola said.

Addressing the young students and cadets in attendance, he expressed optimism about their future, saying: “I am handing over the baton to you, and I know that someday we shall see among you DGs and MDs of various agencies in the sector.”

He further charged the gathering not to underestimate the industry they are being invited into.

“We celebrate you always, not only today. And for the young women, you have everything it takes to succeed because now, you have mentors in these great women who have been in the industry before you. One thing I always have in mind: the maritime industry is a novelty. Most of us claiming to be in the maritime sector for many years still do not understand the potentials of the maritime sector. It is a very big opportunity women should take, explore and succeed in it,” he said.

In her welcome address, the Chairman of the Planning Committee and President of WISTA Nigeria, Dr Odunayo Ani, set the intellectual tone of the event by linking the IWD theme to compliance with ongoing reforms in Nigeria’s fiscal and regulatory environment.

She explained that the full theme of the celebration “Give Compliance to Gain Longevity: Navigating Nigeria’s Tax Reform Opportunities for Women in Shipping and Global Trade” was deliberately chosen to equip women with knowledge of the evolving tax landscape and position compliance as a strategic tool rather than a burden.

Dr Ani urged women professionals in maritime to understand the reforms, identify the opportunities they present, and see regulatory compliance as a pathway to credibility, longevity and global competitiveness.

She also seized the moment to acknowledge the NIMASA leadership, saying the agency had created the conditions for women to thrive. “NIMASA has provided us the professional environment to thrive. What we must do now is to try to understand the reforms, the opportunities and ensure compliance,” she said.

The President of Women in Maritime Africa, WIMA Nigeria, Mrs. Nwaeze Theodora, delivered a goodwill message that resonated strongly with the event’s theme.

She described women as historically having been givers of time, strength, resilience and sacrifice and argued that societies and industries have consistently gained from that giving.

Theodora noted that for decades, women in maritime have given their professionalism and intellect to an industry once perceived as exclusively male, and that the gains from those sacrifices are now becoming visible across maritime administration, marine science, port operations, shipping management and policy leadership.

She reaffirmed WIMA Nigeria’s commitment to its four guiding pillars of Empowerment, Collaboration, Innovation and National Visibility, and called on women to keep giving their best, noting that the maritime industry would continue to gain excellence, innovation and sustainable growth in return.

“Any institution or industry that lacks the participation of women risks limiting its productivity and growth. Women are vessels of productivity, creativity and transformation. When women are included, institutions flourish, and when they are empowered, industries evolve,” Theodora said.

Also contributing, the Chairperson of Women in Logistics and Transport (WILAT) Nigeria, Pharm. Khadijat Sheidu-Shabi, framed the event’s theme around WILAT’s five operational pillars, Leadership, Mentorship, Empowerment, Entrepreneurship and Corporate Social Responsibility, arguing that each pillar is, at its core, an expression of the give-to-gain philosophy.

Sheidu-Shabi described leadership not as the occupation of positions but as the giving of vision, direction and opportunity to others. On mentorship, she noted that the bridge between experience and opportunity has enabled generations of women to find their footing in the industry.

She equally highlighted women’s growing footprint in maritime entrepreneurship, with female-led businesses now active across freight forwarding, shipping services, supply chain consulting and maritime support services.

“Women in leadership must give so that the maritime industry can gain. They must mentor the younger ones, involve in their professional development, provide them industry exposure and there must be equal opportunity for women,” she said.

“Women are leading in entrepreneurship in the maritime sector. Today, women are having leadership positions in shipping services, freight forwarding and port operations. When women are given opportunities to contribute, the society gains, the economy grows and there is transformation,” Sheidu-Shabi added.