NSML reaffirms commitment to domestication of international maritime skill sets

..honours staff, partners at 2025 award ceremony

NLNG Shipping and Marine Services Limited (NSML) has reiterated its core mission to domesticate international maritime skill sets locally, creating opportunities for Nigerian youth to participate in the burgeoning blue economy.

The Managing Director of NSML, Abdulkadir Ahmed, stated this during the 2025 NSML Performance Recognition & Awards ceremony held onThursday at Bonny Island, Rivers State.

The event, organised annually by NSML celebrates and reward excellence in safety, reliability, and service delivery across the organization’s staff, stakeholders and partners.

Speaking on the strategic importance of the sector, Ahmed described the marine and blue economy as a vast, untapped resource for Nigeria that requires collective action to fully harness.

He emphasized that with Nigeria’s population exceeding 250 million- and over 50 percent under the age of 30- the youth represent the most critical assets for the nation’s maritime future.

His words, “The marine and blue economy is an untapped resource, and I’ve always said this- Nigeria with a population of over 250 million people, over 50% of course below the age of 30, we need to really tap into the youth population. And for us in NSML, the purpose of creating NSML was really around domesticating international maritime skill sets locally, so we can provide opportunities for Nigerians to participate in that.

“We are a coastal nation and there’s a lot we can achieve in the international maritime sector, but we all need to work together with that particular purpose in mind.”

Reflecting on the organization’s performance in 2025, the MD described the year as a successful one for NSML defined by three strategic imperatives: Safety, Reliability, and Value.

He noted that shipping acts as an essential enabler for global industry and NSML’s ability to deliver cargoes efficiently worldwide is a testament to its operational excellence.

He attributed the year’s success to the workforce, stating that every achievement recorded in 2025 was made possible because of the dedication, professionalism and resilience each staff member brought to the table.

According to him, the award ceremony is to celebrate not just the awardees but everyone that have contributed in various ways to the overall success recorded in 2025.

“We gather as one NSML family to celebrate ourselves, our people, our teams, and our organisations for outstanding performances in the year. We often say that people are our greatest asset, and this event is a true reflection of that saying.

“At NSML, our commitments to safety, reliability and value remain central to who we are. They are the standards that guide our work and the promise we extend to all our stakeholders. But
more importantly, they are brought to life daily by the men and women who represent NSML in our offices, onboard the vessels, and in all our areas of operations.

“Our success story in 2025 is not about systems or structures, it is simply about our people: our staff, our clients, our partners, and our service providers who consistently uphold our values of Professionalism, Teamwork, Respect, Excellence, and Care (PTREC), and those
values continue to define us. They shape how we work, how we relate, how we lead, and how we deliver on our commitments. PTREC is not just an internal mantra; it is the backbone of
the strong reputation NSML carries across the maritime and shipping world.

“So today is more than an awards ceremony, it is an opportunity to showcase our collective
success, it is a moment to pause and recognise individuals and teams who exemplified our values, pushed boundaries, and contributed significantly to the results we proudly celebrate
today.

“As we celebrate the awardees, we also celebrate every single person here because the progress NSML continues to make is built on shared effort, shared commitment, and shared belief in our mission of setting the pace as the “go to” maritime centre of excellence in Nigeria
and beyond, ” he said.

On expectation for year 2026, the NSML boss pledged that the company would continue to prioritise safe operations, push the boundaries of innovation and capacity development.

“In 2026, it is really about continuing on the part that we have set for ourselves. The part of being a successful, growing, safe and reliable operator.and it is something we intend to follow up both in terms of operational excellence, in terms of driving the boundaries of operational excellence, innovation but most importantly the boundaries of capacity development, ” he concluded.

The award ceremony featured several categories including Contract Manager of the Year, Terminal Safety Man of the Year ( Marine), Most Energy Efficient Tugboat of the Year and Vessel with Highest Number of Preventable Reports among others.

Aside employees and private sector partners, government agencies including the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency ( NIMASA), Nigerian Ports Authority ( NPA), Port Health Service and Department of State Service also bagged various categories of awards.