Dangote Executive Calls for Innovation to Transform Nigeria’s Maritime Industry.
Dangote Executive Calls for Innovation to Transform Nigeria’s Maritime Industry.
Lucky Akra
The Managing Director, Ports Operations SBU, Dangote Industries Limited, Simeon Akin Omole said Innovation, skills development and collaboration among stakeholders have been identified as critical to building a faster, safer and greener maritime industry capable of meeting emerging global demands.
Akin Omole made the call while speaking on “The Power of Innovation in a Future Maritime Industry.”
Omole said the maritime industry could no longer focus solely on transporting cargo from one location to another, stressing that the future would depend increasingly on how efficiently, safely, sustainably and intelligently cargo is moved.
He noted that the growth of vessels measuring up to 400 metres, expectations for port turnaround times of less than 24 hours, heightened safety requirements and pressure to cut emissions were forcing operators to rethink traditional methods.
According to him,“Tradition alone will not get us there. Innovation will,”
Dangote SPM demonstrates infrastructure innovation.
Omole cited the Single Point Mooring (SPM) complex at the Dangote Refinery as an example of how innovation can address challenges without established local templates.
According to him, the SPM complex comprises five buoys located about 15 kilometres offshore and was designed to handle Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) on a 24-hour basis.
He said the project required collaboration with regulators to delineate the Lekki anchorage, the deployment of high-bollard-pull tugs and the development of marine safety procedures tailored to the operation.
“Today that SPM has recorded over 1,100 tanker calls. That is innovation solving a problem that had no precedent,” Omole said.
Skills development critical to maritime growth
The Dangote executive also stressed that technology alone could not deliver sustainable transformation without a competent workforce.
He said the company had invested in training indigenous Mooring Masters and maritime crews to international SPM standards.
Omole recalled that the first crude vessel, ‘MT OTIS’, was berthed by Nigerian personnel, describing the development as an indication of the importance of building local expertise.
“The future maritime workforce must be digital, safety conscious, and commercially aware. If we don’t build them, we will import them,” he said.
Data, AI to shape future ports
Omole further identified data and knowledge sharing as important components of maritime innovation.
Reflecting on his 2004 publication, Containerisation: An Aspect of Shipping Practice, he said the book was produced at a time when locally available reference materials on containerisation were limited.
He said the nature of innovation had since evolved, with data, port community systems and artificial intelligence expected to play increasingly important roles in maritime operations.
He cited the use of AI to predict vessel delays and the adoption of alternative fuels as examples of technologies that could reshape shipping operations.
Smart ports, green ships on the horizon
Looking towards 2035, Omole outlined three developments that could significantly influence the maritime sector: smart ports, green fleets and Africa’s emergence as a maritime gateway.
He said smart ports could use AI to facilitate berth bookings and enable cargo clearance before vessels arrive, potentially reducing turnaround times from days to hours.
On the transition towards cleaner shipping, he identified LNG, methanol, ammonia and wind-assist technologies among the alternatives that could become increasingly relevant to vessels calling at African ports.
He said terminals would consequently need to prepare their tug, bunkering and other infrastructure for new generations of vessels and propulsion technologies.
AfCFTA presents opportunity for Nigeria
Omole also highlighted the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as an opportunity to expand intra-African maritime trade.
He said Nigeria’s location and economic scale positioned the country to potentially serve as a logistics hub for West Africa, but added that achieving this would require improvements in efficiency, cost competitiveness and connectivity.
Stakeholders urged to collaborate
Omole called for greater cooperation among government agencies, terminal operators, shipping lines and academic institutions to accelerate innovation across the sector.
He advocated regulatory sandboxes for emerging marine technologies and fuels, greater investment in maritime academies and simulator training, and increased collaboration in data and risk sharing.
“No single company can build the future port. We must share data, share risk, share ambition,” he said.
He added that sustained investment in innovation could enable Nigerian ports to respond to changing global standards while supporting the development of a maritime industry that is safer, faster and cleaner.
“The sea does not care about our history. It only responds to how well we prepare today,” Omole said.
