Dr. Dakuku Peterside has urged shipping stakeholders to treat green maritime as a business advantage, saying decarbonisation will boost competitiveness, cut costs and improve long-term growth across the maritime industry.
The maritime regulation and compliance expert and former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) made the call during a high-level webinar held on July 27, 2026.
Naturehedge organised the event with the West Africa Green Economic Development Institute (WAGEDI), Gregory University, SSA Hub and the Sustainable Energy Practitioners Association of Nigeria (SEPAN).
Peterside said green maritime goes beyond environmental campaigns, explaining that it shapes operating costs, access to capital, profitability and a company’s licence to operate.
He spoke on the theme, “Green Maritime: Strategy and Operations Beyond Optics.”
He said green maritime covers sustainable practices, technology and policies that reduce the industry’s impact on the environment.
Peterside said organisations that combine decarbonisation, digitalisation, innovation and operational excellence will lead the future of global shipping.
He urged operators to move beyond symbolism and build sustainability into daily operations.
He noted that 2026 has brought stricter International Maritime Organization (IMO) carbon-intensity rules and wider exposure to the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS).
He said shipping companies must respond with practical measures, while he outlined key strategies such as voyage optimisation, just-in-time port arrivals, alternative fuels including methanol, ammonia and LNG, digital tools, and safety-focused training.
Shipowners, operators, port authorities, financiers, regulators and energy partners joined the webinar.
The speakers agreed that compliance should serve as the minimum standard, while long-term success depends on making sustainability part of operations, data management and finance.
However, Professor Magnus Onuoha, President of the Governing Council of REEEAA and Board of Trustees Chairman of SEPAN, said the webinar will lead to a strategic pan-regional workshop in Accra, Ghana.
Also, Madam Hermione Manuel, Managing Director of Damen Shipyards in South Africa, described green maritime as a combination of competitiveness, sustainability and compliance.
She highlighted hybrid vessel projects at the shipyard.
Organisers confirmed that the webinar series will continue, with the next session scheduled for August 5, 2026.
Dr. Felicia Mogo, the first and only African woman appointed to the United Nations group of experts on Marine Environment and Socio-Economics, will speak on “Navigating Sustainable Growth: Business Model Innovation and ESG in the Maritime Sector and Blue Economy.”
Organisers said the webinar series is building strategic and operational expertise across Africa’s maritime sector ahead of the physical workshop in Accra.
They said the goal is to position decarbonisation as a competitive advantage for the industry.
External links
International Maritime Organization (IMO): https://www.imo.org/
Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA): https://nimasa.gov.ng/
European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS): https://climate.ec.europa.eu/eu-action/eu-emissions-trading-system-eu-ets_en
