Former President Goodluck Jonathan has advocated for future investments in maritime infrastructure and operations that are aligned with global realities.

At the first International Deep Seaport forum organised by Maritime Media Limited in Lagos yesterday, he warned that the lessons from the collapse of the Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL) remain highly relevant as the country seeks to reposition its maritime sector, particularly in the face of evolving global shipping standards.

The maritime forum was attended by port administrators, government officials, state governors, and industry leaders, who advocated for development of an international seaport to curb future cargo diversion to neighbouring countries Jonathan noted that without such reflection, Nigeria risks falling behind in international shipping, with potential consequences for trade competitiveness and economic growth.

The former president noted: “You know, we had the Nigerian National Shipping Line, and nobody has really investigated why these enterprises just went down. “When the world is migrating to the container, the container means that you need deeper ships.”