By Adekola Afolabi

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The Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has solicited the support of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) on the establishment of the proposed Port Ondo.
Akeredolu equally expressed his administration’s readiness to partner the Agency and key into its Blue Economy initiative, just as he called on the Agency to help resuscitate Aiyetoro Technical School where he said many maritime experts were trained and produced.
The Governor disclosed this yesterday in Akure while receiving NIMASA team led by the Director-General/CEO, Dr. Bashir Jamoh in his office.
Akeredolu who revealed that it is his desire to have best Port not only for Ondo but in Africa, stressed that the state has what it takes to have a deep sea port.
He added that the Sunshine state’s position is peculiar with the longest coastline in the country.
“We are ready to be part of the blue economy. We can work together. You mentioned waste management, ferrying, fishery, ship building, ship repair and other areas.
“Aiyetoro technical school was the first in West Africa to address these issues. It trained and produced so many maritime experts. It is comatose now. The town is almost washed away. Serious degradation. We will not mind if NIMASA can be part of the resuscitation”, the Governor added.
According to the Governor, both China Harbor and Dubai Harbor have shown interest in the development of a deep sea port in the state, adding that they are only waiting for the port declaration.
“I am not particular about Ondo. We are particular about a port for the West Africa. Here, we have the deepest draught. Over 60 meters. We do not need to dredge to build Port. Naturally a Port can be here. We have done the OBC. If what we are seeing in Lagos is not enough, where else can we do it if not Ondo State,” Akeredolu asserted.
Earlier, the NIMASA Director-General/CEO, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, who express delight in the successes recorded by Governor Akeredolu in his first term, described the Governor as a record breaker in roads and other infrastructural development in the history of the State.
The NIMASA DG added that the agency is ready to liaise with Ondo State to develop Blue Economy in the state and take advantage of the state in term of tourism.
He explained that most countries in the world were working hard to find an alternative source of energy, hence the need for Nigeria to also find one.
The NIMASA DG, who said Nigeria relied on oil as a natural resource and its main source of energy, said most countries would not have anything to do with oil in the next one decade.
According to him, It is not by accident that Nigeria is a coastal state, and Ondo is one of the littoral states we can explore with the good leadership and successes recorded.
“That area of the resources is called blue economy and is being promoted by so many countries and it relies on sectors like waste management; fishery; shipping services, buildings, repairs and many other areas in terms of our own resources”, he added.