Business & Economy
Bayelsa Leads Nigeria’s Blue Economy Drive with Ambitious Maritime Plans- Expert
By David Owei, Yenagoa.
Bayelsa State is spearheading Nigeria’s maritime transformation with bold initiatives aimed at harnessing its vast marine resources.
As the first state to establish a dedicated Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Bayelsa is setting the pace for structured development in the sector, according to maritime expert Capt. Paul Mandela Ogoun.
Pioneering Policy Framework
Speaking on the state’s ambitious approach, Capt. Ogoun highlighted Bayelsa’s groundbreaking Marine and Blue Economy policy as a landmark achievement. The comprehensive 40-page document, he noted, was developed through extensive consultation with over 20 experts from academia, maritime law, and key federal agencies.
“This policy is a bold statement of intent,” Ogoun said. “While the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy is yet to finalize such a framework, Bayelsa has taken the lead in defining its maritime future.”
The document envisions Bayelsa as Nigeria’s leading maritime state while balancing its initiatives with federal maritime regulations.
Training the Next Generation of Maritime Professionals
A major highlight of the policy is its focus on human capital development. Capt. Ogoun revealed that Bayelsa plans to train at least 100 seafarers, 100 welders, and 100 divers annually over the next decade.
“These training programs will not only cover basic maritime skills but will also include specialized courses in autonomous ships and marine renewable energy,” he stated.
According to him, partnerships with renowned maritime training institutions—both local and international—will ensure that Bayelsa produces globally competitive maritime professionals.
“The goal is to equip our people with the skills required in modern maritime operations, reducing dependence on foreign expertise,” Ogoun added.
The Fish Cities Project: A Game-Changer for Local Fishermen
Governor Douye Diri’s Fish Cities Project is another transformative initiative aimed at transitioning the state’s fishing industry from subsistence-level operations to commercial ventures.
“The Fish Cities project is designed to provide modern processing facilities, cold storage units, and direct market access for fishermen,” Ogoun explained.
However, he noted that the initiative would require substantial infrastructural investment, including stable power supply, water treatment facilities, and environmental safeguards.
“Successful implementation will depend on community involvement and training,” he said. “Traditional fishermen will need to be equipped with new competencies to integrate seamlessly into commercial fishing operations.”
Enhancing Maritime Security
Bayelsa’s maritime expansion comes with security concerns, and the state is addressing these through the establishment of a Marine Safety Task Force.
“This task force is designed to tackle sea robbery, waterway offenses, and environmental protection,” Ogoun noted.
Integration with modern surveillance technology and collaboration with the Nigerian Navy and Marine Police will enhance security across Bayelsa’s waterways.
“Infrastructure development and manpower training for a local coast guard will be critical,” Ogoun stressed. “We also need quick-response centers along key waterways and vessel-tracking technology to monitor maritime activities effectively.”
Agge Deep Seaport: A Strategic Investment
Another pillar of Bayelsa’s maritime blueprint is the development of the Agge Deep Seaport, which Ogoun described as a potential economic game-changer.
“The port’s success will hinge on complementary infrastructure, including road and railway links to industrial hubs,” he explained.
He added that high private-sector investment through public-private partnerships would be essential to fund the project’s execution.
“Stakeholder engagement will also be crucial to address environmental concerns and ensure that local communities benefit from this project,” he stated.
Balancing Economic Growth with Environmental Sustainability
While Bayelsa’s maritime expansion is promising. Ogoun emphasized the need for environmental conservation.
“The state’s rich marine ecosystem, including its vast mangrove forests, must be protected,” he cautioned.
Environmental sustainability measures, including waste management policies and renewable energy integration, will be incorporated into maritime operations.
“Proper marine spatial planning will ensure that economic development does not come at the cost of ecological destruction,” he added.
Conclusion: Bayelsa’s Role in Nigeria’s Blue Economy
Capt. Ogoun believes that Bayelsa’s maritime initiatives serve as a test case for Nigeria’s blue economy potential.
“The establishment of the Marine and Blue Economy Ministry is a major step forward,” he said. “However, long-term success will depend on infrastructure development, federal-state collaboration, and community engagement.”
He called for evidence-based decision-making and pragmatic policy implementation to ensure that Bayelsa’s maritime ambitions translate into sustainable economic growth.
“Bayelsa’s journey will shape Nigeria’s national discourse on marine economy development,” Ogoun concluded. “If properly managed, this could become a model for other coastal states looking to harness their maritime potential.”
Business & Economy
*HallowMace Foundation and Partners Unveil Final Three Nominees Per Geo-Political Zone for 2026 National Legislative Award, Announces Final Voting Stage*
ABUJA, April 16, 2026, The HallowMace Foundation and Partners have officially released the final list of the last three outstanding nominees per Nigeria’s six geo-political zones for the upcoming National Legislative Award, scheduled to take place in July 2026.
After a rigorous selection process incorporating input from Nigerian citizens and the National Assembly Press Corps, the Foundation and Partners finalized the roster of distinguished Senators and House of Representatives members who have demonstrated exceptional legislative performance.
The nominees are grouped by geo-political zone as follows:
*SOUTH EAST*
*Senate*
Sen. Enyinnaya Abariba
Sen. Victor Umeh
Sen. Osita Izunaso
*House of Reps*
Hon. Benjamin Kalu
Hon. Dominic Okafor
Hon. Chike Okafor
*SOUTH SOUTH*
*Senate*
Sen. Seriake Dickson
Sen. Adams Oshiomole
Sen. Asuquo Ekpenyong
*House of Reps*
Hon. Frederick Agbedi
Hon. Francis Waive
Hon. Inombek Awaji-Abiante
*SOUTH WEST*
*Senate*
Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele
Sen. Solomon Olamilekan
Sen. Abdulfattah Buhari
*House of Reps*
Hon. Akin Rotimi
Hon. Babajimi Benson
Hon. Oluwole Oke
*NORTH CENTRAL*
*Senate*
Sen. Sani Musa
Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduanghan
Sen. Aliyu Wadada
*House of Reps*
Hon. Terseer Ugbor
Hon. Saidu Musa Abdullahi
Hon. Jonathan G. Gaza
*NORTH EAST*
*Senate*
Sen. Abdul Ninji
Sen. Muhammed Monguno
Sen. Muhammed Danjuma Goje
*House of Reps*
Hon. Laori K. Bitrus
Hon. Ahmadu Usman Jaha
Hon. Bello Usman Kumo
*NORTH WEST*
*Senate*
Sen. Hussaini Babangida Uba
Sen. Sunday Katung
Sen. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal
*House of Reps*
Hon. Hassan Fulata
Hon. Abdussamad Dasuki
Hon. Sada Soli
According to the Organisers, these nominees represent the *“last three”* standing per zone following extensive voting by Nigerian public and legislative correspondents. They have been recognized for their outstanding contributions to lawmaking, oversight, and constituency representation.
*Voting For The Next Stage Now Open*
The HallowMace Foundation and Partners hereby announce that voting for the final selection stage has commenced effective today, April 16, 2026. In this crucial phase, members of the public are invited to vote to select one Senator and one House of Representatives member per geo-political zone from the list of final nominees.
Email: thenationallegislativeawards@gmail.com
This stage of voting shall close on the last day of April 2026 (April 30, 2026) . Winners will be determined by a combination of public votes and final validation by the National Assembly Press Corps.
The National Legislative Award ceremony is set to hold in July 2026, where the final winners will be unveiled and celebrated for their dedication to the Nigerian project.
*About HallowMace Foundation*
The HallowMace Foundation is a non-partisan organization committed to promoting legislative excellence and accountability across Nigeria.
*Signed:*
Amb. Oguh Hyginus John
*Head, Public Communications Desk*
The National Legislative Awards Planning Committee
Business & Economy
PPP Business Model Responsible for Success of NLNG -Fubara *Pledges Continued support for Corporate Organizations operating in Rivers State
By George Mgbeleke
Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara has attributed the success of the Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas ( NLNG) Limited to the Public Private Partnership ( PPP) business model adopted by the Federal Government and the multinational oil companies from the inception of the organisation.
Governor Fubara stated this while receiving the new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NLNG, Mr Adeleye Falade who paid him a courtesy visit at Government House, Port Harcourt.
The NLNG is jointly owned by Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) with 49%, Shell Gas B.V. with 25.6%, Total LNG Nigeria Ltd with 15%, and Eni International with 10.4%.This partnership model allows for shared risks, costs, and expertise in the LNG sector.
L to R: Miss Homa Nmegbu, Govt. Relations Advisor; Abdul Saleh, Technical Adviser to Exexutive Management; Dr Yemi Adeyemi, Manager Community Relations; Abdul Umar, Manager, Government Relations; Engr Adeleye Falade, MD/CEO, Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency, Siminalayi Fubara; Dr Sophia Horsfall, GM, External Relations & Sustainable Development; Mike Igoni, Head, Govt Relations; Ifeanyi Umeh, Head Community Engagement & Liaison, Kate Allison, Senior Govt Relations Advisor and Emma Nwatu, Senior Media Advisor, in a group photograph during the courtesy visit on Wednesday.
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary,Onwuka Nzeshi, governor Fubara observed that the NLNG has not only survived the difficult business environment but has made sustained progress in the nearly three decades of its existence. According to him, the decision of the Federal Government to allow the multinational oil companies who have the needed expertise to run the establishment while government plays a supervisory role over it, has largely been responsible for its success.
” I’m very proud to say that if there is one establishment that has shown resilience, that has survived in the face of all the political issues prevalent in this country, it is the NLNG. And what is the reason? The reason is very simple. Government has no business in business. That is the truth. Leave the business for those people who can operate it. Let the government play its supervisory role to ensure that there is compliance with the laws; ensure that standards are maintained and also ensure that the right people with the needed expertise are at the helm of affairs. That’s all. I think that is the reason why we still record a lot of successes in NLNG,” he said.
Governor Fubara pledged the continued support of his administration for the NLNG, stressing that the success of the organisation is equally the success of the government of Rivers State and the success of the Federal Government of Nigeria. He gave assurance that his administration will continue to contribute it’s own quota in support of the NLNG.
“Our duty is to make sure that we support whoever is operating in our state. We are the ones here. If we don’t support you and you don’t succeed, we also will not succeed and Mr President will also not succeed.
“So the success of your establishment is the success of our state, and overall success of Nigeria. So you can count on our support. Wherever you think we need to come in to support you, please do not hesitate to call upon us.
“You just mentioned here that your predecessor left a handover note showcasing the level of support that he got from the state. It is not going to be different in your own case. I can assure you that. I will also ensure that other units of the government will liaise with you when necessary. So even if you can’t get to me, you can always get to them and if there is anything we can do to help your establishment succeed, we will do it for you,” he said.
In his opening remark, the new CEO of the NLNG, Mr Adeleye Falade who led other top officials of the company on the visit, expressed appreciation for the audience granted them and appealed to the Government of Rivers State to continue to support the organisation.
” We appreciate the opportunity to meet with you and deepen this important relationship.We deeply value the support the Rivers State Government continues to extend in fostering an enabling operating environment for businesses. NLNG remains deliberate in its contribution to Nigeria’s development, and Rivers State, our primary host, continues to be central to that commitment,” he said.
The company, Falade said, has continued to work with its host communities to strengthen their capacity to identify, prioritise, and deliver sustainable development initiatives that create lasting impact. According to him
communities including Amadi-ama, Abua, Ekpeye, Okrika, Kalabari, and Emohua have continued to benefit from this model. He said that beyond community infrastructure, the NLNG have sustained investments in economic empowerment through initiatives such as Vocational Innovation and Business Empowerment Scheme (VIBES) and Micro Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) schemes. These, he said, were designed to support small businesses, build capacity, and stimulate local enterprise across the state.
Among officials of the company who accompanied the Managing Director where General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, Dr Sophia Horsfall; Manager, Government Relations, Mr Abdul Umar; Manager, Community Relations; Dr Yemi Adeyemi; Head of Government Relations, Mr Mike Igoni; Head of Community Liaison and Engagement, Chief Ifeanyi Umeh. Others are Technical Assistant to Executive Leadership, Mr Hassan Saleh; Senior Media and Publicity Advisor, Mr Emma Nwatu; Government Relations Advisor, Miss Homa Nmegbu, Senior Government Relations Advisor, Mrs Kate Allison and Audio -Visual Advisor, Mr Dawood Ahmed.
Business & Economy
*HallowMace Africa and Partners Announce First Stage Results For July 2026 National Legislative Awards*
*Abuja, Nigeria, April 1st, 2026.* HallowMace Africa, a leading media and advocacy organisation dedicated to promoting legislative accountability and excellence, has officially released the results of the first stage of voting for its highly anticipated July 2026 National Legislative Awards.
Following an intensive initial voting phase, Nigerians, in collaboration with the National Assembly Press Corps, have successfully nominated a distinguished list of Senators and Members of the House of Representatives. These nominees represent the pinnacle of legislative performance across the nation’s six geo-political zones and the Federal Capital Territory.
The first stage of voting saw robust participation from citizens and accredited press corps members, who evaluated lawmakers based on legislative impact, constituency representation, and public service delivery.
*List Of Outstanding Nominees By Geo-Political Zone:*
*SOUTH EAST*
*Abia:* Sen. Enyinnaya Abariba (Senate); Hon. Benjamin Kalu (Reps)
*Anambra:* Sen. Victor Umeh (Senate); Hon. Dominic Okafor (Reps)
*Ebonyi:* Sen. Peter Nwaebonyi (Senate); Hon. Nkemkanma Kama (Reps)
*Enugu:* Sen. Osita Ngwu (Senate); Hon. John Nnolim (Reps)
*Imo:* Sen. Osita Izunaso (Senate); Hon. Chike Okafor (Reps)
*SOUTH SOUTH*
*Akwa Ibom:* Sen. Godswill Akpabio (Senate); Hon. Patrick Umoh-Ikor (Reps)
*Bayelsa:* Sen. Seriake Dickson (Senate); Hon. Frederick Agbedi (Reps)
*Delta:* Sen. Ned Nwoko (Senate); Hon. Francis Waive (Reps)
*Edo:* Sen. Adams Oshiomole (Senate); Hon. Julius Ihonvbere (Reps)
*Cross River:* Sen. Asuquo Elpenyong (Senate); Hon. Michael Etaba (Reps)
*Rivers:* Sen. Harry Banigo (Senate); Hon. Inombek Awaji-Abiante (Reps)
*SOUTH WEST*
*Ekiti:* Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele (Senate); Hon. Akor Rotimi (Reps)
*Lagos:* Sen. Adetokunbo Abiru (Senate); Hon. Babajimi Benson (Reps)
*Ogun:* Sen. Solomon Olamilekan (Senate); Hon. Isiaka Ibrahim (Reps)
*Ondo:* Sen. Emmanuel Ipimsagba Olajide (Senate); Hon. Donald Ojogo (Reps)
*Osun:* Sen. Francis Adenigba Fadaunsi (Senate); Hon. Oluwole Oke (Reps)
*Oyo:* Sen. Abdulfattah Buhari (Senate); Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe (Reps)
*NORTH CENTRAL*
*Kwara:* Sen. Saliu Mustapha (Senate); Hon. Muktar Shagaya (Reps)
*Benue:* Sen. Abba Moro (Senate); Hon. Terseer Ugbor (Reps)
*Niger:* Sen. Sani Musa (Senate); Hon. Saidu Musa Abdullahi (Reps)
*Kogi:* Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduanghan (Senate); Hon. Leke Abejide (Reps)
*Nasarawa:* Sen. Aliyu Wadada (Senate); Hon. Jonathan G. Gaza (Reps)
*Plateau:* Sen. Diket Plang (Senate); Hon. Yusuf Adamu Gagdi (Reps)
*NORTH EAST*
*Adamawa:* Sen. Abass Aminu Iya (Senate); Hon. Laori K. Bitrus (Reps)
*Bauchi:* Sen. Abdul Ninji (Senate); Hon. Manu Soro Mansur (Reps)
*Borno:* Sen. Muhammed Monguno (Senate); Hon. Ahmadu Usman Jaha (Reps)
*Gombe:* Sen. Muhammed Danjuma Goje (Senate); Hon. Bello Usman Kumo (Reps)
*Taraba:* Sen. David Jumkuta (Senate); Hon. Jaafara Yakubu (Reps)
*Yobe:* Sen. Ahmad Lawan (Senate); Hon. Khadija Bukar Abba-Ibrahim (Reps)
*NORTH WEST*
*Jigawa:* Sen. Hussaini Babangida Uba (Senate); Hon. Hassan Fulata (Reps)
*Kaduna:* Sen. Sunday Katung (Senate); Hon. Shehu Agilo (Reps)
*Kano:* Sen. Jubil Barau (Senate); Hon. Aliyu Madaki (Reps)
*Katsina:* Sen. Abdulazeez Musa Yar’Adua (Senate); Hon. Sada Soli (Reps)
*Kebbi:* Sen. Yahaya Abdullahi (Senate); Hon. Bello Kaoje (Reps)
*Sokoto:* Sen. Amimu Waziri Tambuwal (Senate); Hon. Abdussamad Dasuki (Reps)
*Zamfara:* Sen. Bilbis Aliyu Ikra (Senate); Hon. Aminu Sani Jaji (Reps)
*FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY*
*FCT:* Sen. Ireti Kingibe (Senate); Hon. Ajiya Abdulrahman (Reps)
*Next Stage of Voting*
With the first stage concluded, the competition now enters a critical phase. The goal is to identify one Most Outstanding Senator and one Most Outstanding House of Representatives member per geo-political zone.
In the upcoming second stage, the current list of nominees will be narrowed down to a final three (3) nominees per zone. These top three finalists will then advance to the final voting stage, where the ultimate winner for each geo-political zone will be determined.
*“The massive participation we witnessed in the first stage is a testament to the growing interest of Nigerians in legislative accountability,” said Amb. Anderson Osiebe, Executive Director, HallowMace Africa. “As we proceed to the next stage, we urge the public to remain engaged. We are committed to a transparent process that celebrates the lawmakers who truly exemplify service to the people.”*
*Voting links and timelines for the next stage is as follows:*
thenationallegislativeawards@gmail.com
The voting commences immediately using the above email, *also this voting timeline shall expire on the 14th day of April 2026 by 11:59pm.*
The National Legislative Awards 2026 is Powered by HallowMace Africa in partnership with International Goodwill Ambassador Club, ERGAF Africa, Isabella Ayuk Foundation and many others.
*About HallowMace Africa*
HallowMace Africa is a non-governmental organization focused on promoting democratic values, legislative excellence, and civic engagement across the African continent.
*Media Contact:*
Amb. Oguh Hyginus John
*Head of Public Communications Desk*
HallowMace Africa
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