The Chairman of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), Calabar Branch, Dr Aniefiok Iton, has called on Nigeria and other Gulf of Guinea nations to formalise maritime trade activities in order to fully capitalise on the opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).
Dr Iton made this statement during a two-day conference titled “Promoting Coastal Maritime Trade with Littoral Countries Along the Gulf of Guinea,” held yesterday in Calabar. The event brought together maritime experts, transport practitioners, academics, and government officials to deliberate on strategies for enhancing regional trade.
Speaking during the technical session, Dr Iton described the conference as timely, emphasising that the maritime sector remains a cornerstone of economic growth, regional integration, and revenue generation across Africa.
She pointed out that widespread informal trading activities around Nigeria’s waterfronts and border communities continue to deprive governments of substantial revenue due to poor documentation and lack of regulation. “This conference is important because many traders and operators do not fully understand the formal processes involved in maritime operations,” she said, adding that the event was designed to create awareness and provide practical training for operators in the sector.
Dr Iton explained that formalising coastal trade would improve efficiency, enhance competitiveness, and enable governments to monitor and generate revenue from maritime commerce through proper documentation and regulation. She further noted that Cross River State and other coastal states stand to benefit significantly if stakeholders embrace structured coastal trade systems linked to the Gulf of Guinea market and the wider AfCFTA framework.
The CILT chairman also called for sustained investment in human capacity development, insisting that continuous learning, collaboration, and professional training are essential for growth in the evolving maritime and logistics sector. She disclosed that discussions are ongoing with state governments, ministries, and agencies to encourage investment in capacity-building programmes aimed at attracting more young people into maritime careers.
One of the lead speakers at the conference, Rector of the Marine and Ocean Academy, Dr Kingsley Ekwere, highlighted the strategic importance of the Gulf of Guinea to global commerce, noting that the region stretches nearly 6,000 kilometres from Senegal to Angola. He stressed that effective trade promotion within the region would require stronger connectivity, regional integration, improved security, and sustained collaboration among participating countries, while identifying ports as critical infrastructure for driving trade under AfCFTA.
Dr Ekwere warned that piracy, cybercrime, and geopolitical tensions around the Strait of Hormuz are gradually shifting global maritime attention toward the Gulf of Guinea, creating fresh opportunities for African coastal nations. Stakeholders at the conference subsequently called for stronger investment in coastal transport systems, maritime education, regional security cooperation, and modern port infrastructure to position the region as a globally competitive trade corridor.
