*Diri Advocates Stronger Coastal State Action
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola has called for a stronger collaboration between the Federal Government, state governments, the private sector and development partners to accelerate the implementation of Nigeria’s National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy.
Describing sub-national participation as critical to unlocking the sector’s vast economic potential, Oyetola who stated this Thursday at the Second Quarter 2026 Citizens’ and Stakeholders’ Engagement of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy held at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, averred that Nigeria had moved beyond policy formulation and must now focus on implementation capable of delivering measurable economic benefits.
A statement signed by the Special Adviser to the Minister, Dr. Bolaji Akinola revealed that the engagement with the theme “From Policy to Action: Mobilising Sub-National Governments for Effective Implementation of Nigeria’s National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy,” brought together government officials, diplomats, development partners, industry leaders, academics and representatives of state governments.
Oyetola explained the National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy had provided a strategic framework for harnessing Nigeria’s oceans, inland waterways, fisheries and coastal resources, but stressed that its success depended on coordinated action across all levels of government.
He noted that many of the country’s blue economy assets were located within states and communities, making sub-national governments indispensable partners in driving investment, creating jobs, improving food security and promoting environmental sustainability.
The Minister said reforms under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda had strengthened stakeholder engagement, attracted investment, improved maritime safety and enhanced the competitiveness of Nigeria’s ports.
He cited the 2025 Container Port Performance Index by the World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence which ranked Tin Can Island Port as the tenth most improved port globally and Lagos Port Complex, Apapa, as the twelfth most improved between 2020 and 2025.
According to him, the ongoing port modernisation and plans to develop new deep seaports in states including Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Lagos and Ondo would further strengthen Nigeria’s position as West Africa’s preferred maritime hub.
He also noted that improved port operations had contributed to Nigeria recording a national trade surplus consistently since 2024.
On inland waterway safety, he said the ministry had intensified collaboration with relevant agencies and state governments, distributed life jackets nationwide and urged states to replace unsafe wooden passenger boats with modern fibre boats.
He further called on coastal states to align their development plans with the national policy while encouraging private investment in fisheries, aquaculture, maritime transport, tourism, shipbuilding, renewable energy and marine biotechnology.
The Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Duoye Diri in his keynote address, commended President Tinubu for establishing the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
Describing it as a strategic step towards diversifying Nigeria’s economy, he said Bayelsa State followed suit by creating its own Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy in June 2024 to drive the blue economy component of the state’s A-S-S-U-R-E-D Prosperity Agenda.
The Bayelsa State number one citizen revealed that the state ministry had commenced major fish production at the Bayelsa Aquaculture Village in Yenegwe, where an operational hatchery was breeding high-quality catfish fingerlings and juveniles to boost food security and create jobs.
He added that the state had expanded its marine transport fleet and was aggressively pursuing the development of the proposed Agge Deep Seaport as the next maritime gateway for the Niger Delta region.
He used the occasion to propose five key pathways for coastal states to maximise opportunities in the blue economy.
These include establishing dedicated ministries of marine and blue economy, enacting enabling legislation, properly mapping and securing their maritime domains, investing in credible data collection and analysis, and developing skills, markets, innovation hubs and logistics infrastructure.
In his presentation on private sector investment and industrialisation, President and Chief Executive, Dangote Industries Limited, Alhaji Aliko Dangote said the successful implementation of the National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy would depend largely on sustained private sector participation.
He noted that the policy targets the creation of three million jobs within its first four years, annual sectoral growth of seven per cent and the reservation of at least 50 per cent of new jobs for young people aged between 18 and 35.
Dangote who was represented by the Managing Director of Dangote Port Operations, Simeon Akin Omole, said industrial transformation required policy consistency, quality infrastructure, access to finance and investor confidence.
He identified infrastructure-led industrialisation, value-chain development and stronger public-private partnerships as the three pillars needed to unlock the sector’s enormous potential.
According to him, the Federal Government’s approvals for major deep seaport projects in various parts of the country would stimulate industrial clusters incorporating agro-processing, petrochemicals, shipbuilding, cold-chain logistics and maritime technology, while also boosting Nigeria’s competitiveness.
He also identified the fisheries value chain as a major investment opportunity, noting that despite rising domestic production, Nigeria still imported fish worth nearly one billion dollars annually due to a significant supply deficit.
The industrialist argued that investments in aquaculture, hatcheries, feed production, processing, cold-chain logistics and export infrastructure could reduce imports, conserve foreign exchange, create more than 500,000 jobs and position Nigeria as a leading exporter of fisheries products.
He also stressed that public-private partnerships should go beyond financing arrangements to become strategic collaborations involving government, investors, research institutions and coastal communities.
According to him, coastal industrial clusters supported by modern ports, Special Economic Zones and digital infrastructure would attract long-term investment and accelerate industrialisation.
The statement added that goodwill messages were delivered by the Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Akon Eyakenyi, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Marine Transport, Senator Wasiu Sanni Eshinlokun, representatives of the governors of Ondo and Borno States, and private sector operators.
They all pledged continued support for the successful implementation of Nigeria’s marine and blue economy agenda.
