The greatest of the many benefits of MCN/NIME membership are the macro benefits of our creation of the enabling environment for maritime-economy persons and companies to grow their businesses and professional careers. The macro benefits - such as those derivable from our website (www.mcn-nime.org), from bills that we have influenced (such as the consolidation of local-content monitoring and implementation bill), from establishment of an Admiralty Division, from the NIME Directory, from our conferences (eg, the Marine Finance and Insurance Conference), from our Courtesy Visits, from the newly suggested "State of the NIME" annual summit, from our planned engagement with politicians aimed at maritime-economy professionals taking charge of maritime-economy MDAs, etc - take time to mature. But there lie sustainability of the anticipated growths of our businesses and professional careers. The micro benefits - such as helping members to obtain employment and contracts, such as helping members to get investors, such as providing the platform for members to interact with leaders of the maritime economy, such as members sending MCN staff on AUTHORIZED errands or receiving AUTHORIZED messages through our office or using our office for AUTHORIZED meetings or representing MCN with AUTHORIZATION, such as our socials, etc - may be important, but they must not blind us to the ultimate vision and mission of MCN. (You will find these on our website. Visit it today and regularly). Let us rise above parochialism and aim for the skies. Unless we eschew pettiness and childish behaviours, both micro and macro benefits of MCN/NIME membership will elude us and we will continue to grope in the dark - with industries, sectors and sub-sectors of a maritime economy that are in disarray and underperforming.

Chinedu Jideofo
President/CEO
Marine Club of Nigeria.