The 2025 Annual Maritime Students and Youths Conference (AMSAY) may have come and gone, but the echoes still reverberates the entire maritime industry in Nigeria.
In this special report, Platform Reporters chronicles some of the pungent statements made at the occasion which we consider as Amplified Voices. Enjoy the excerpts:
“AMSAY Conference is a youth-centric maritime industry succession plan programme which converge both the young and old maritime practitioners and engage them in topical discussions that proffer solutions to critical and contemporary issues affecting the future of the maritime industry.” – Mr Sylvanus Obasi, Convener, AMSAY Conference.
“I think this event should rank top and is seen as the best among top events in the maritime industry. This is because the maritime industry over the years has suffered a lot in terms of shortage of manpower development and events such as this has come to bridge the gap.” – Dr Emeka Akabogu, Principal Partner, Akabogu Law, and Convener, OTL Africa Downstream.
“Data is the new oil in the digital economy. As ships and ports become connected, they also become vulnerable. So, there’s growing demand for cyber-aware maritime professionals. Pay close attention to digital logistics and supply chain coordination which would equip you with the ability to learn how smart technologies like GPS, RFID, and IoT are integrated into maritime logistics.
“To stay relevant in this fast changing industry, students need to upskill continually, learn beyond their curriculum, take certification in logistics, tech, data science, maritime ICT, among others” – Mr Bolaji Sunmola, Father of the Day at the 2025 AMSAY Conference.
“As the theme of today’s conference is about automation and digitalization, it’s also about the future and you are that future. A lot of you have IT skills and not just IT, a lot of you have presence in cyber space, make good use of it” – Mrs Funke Agbor -SAN, President, Nigerian Maritime Law Association ( NMLA).
“Trade facilitation through automation is emerging as an important factor for international trade and economic development of countries. Digitalisation in the Nigeria Customs Service is not just a modernisation initiative, but also marks a paradigm shift in governance, risk control, trade facilitation and economic transformation,” AC Abass Oladepo, representative of Customs CG.
“In today’s fast-paced global economy, businesses are constantly seeking ways to streamline operations, reduce costs, and enhance efficiency, especially when it comes to trade and commerce. One solution that has emerged as a game-changer is the National Single Window initiative. The National Single Window initiative has the potential to transform the freight forwarding profession, enhancing efficiency, transparency, and competitiveness.
“However, it requires careful implementation, specialization, and adaptation to new technologies. With the right approach, freight forwarders can leverage the National Single Window initiative to improve their services and contribute to Nigeria’s economic growth.” – Alhaji Yahaya Saidu, Representative of CRFFN Registrar.
“The world has been compressed into your laptop and nothing that is going on today that you don’t have in there. So, you can always link up, key in, latch on to things that are good, productive, positive that will enhance your life, your opportunities and your future. Make sure that when you are looking at your phone or your laptop, that you will see something that will add value to what you can be and add value to your industry, not just following events that don’t add anything to you” – Mrs Eunice Ezeoke, Former President of WISTA Nigeria.
“Over 400 boat mishaps have been recorded recently within the waterways across the country, and most of the boat mishaps were caused by poor vessel integrity, insufficient time management by the operators, inadequate manpower training of the boat operators and late hour operations”- Engr Mrs Elsie Egwuatu, representative of NIWA MD.
“Career opportunities in maritime are endless. Over 150 professions in maritime have been identified. So no student who studied maritime related course should be unemployed if they have the right mentorship” – Mrs Rollens Macfoy, COO, Ocean Deep Services LTD and President, Women in Maritime Nigeria.
