The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola, has called for 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.
Speaking at the Second Quarter 2026 Citizens’ and Stakeholders’ Engagement of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy held at Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos, on Thursday, Oyetola said active participation by sub-national governments was crucial to unlocking the country’s vast marine resources and delivering sustainable economic growth.
The engagement, themed “From Policy to Action: Mobilising Sub-National Governments for Effective Implementation of Nigeria’s National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy,” attracted government officials, diplomats, development partners, industry leaders, academics and representatives of state governments.
According to the minister, Nigeria has moved beyond policy formulation and must now focus on effective implementation capable of generating jobs, boosting investment, enhancing food security and promoting environmental sustainability.
He noted that many of Nigeria’s marine and blue economy assets are located within states and coastal communities, making state governments indispensable partners in achieving the policy’s objectives.
Oyetola said reforms introduced under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda had improved stakeholder engagement, attracted investments, strengthened maritime safety and enhanced the competitiveness of Nigerian 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 10th most improved port globally and Lagos Port Complex, Apapa, as the 12th most improved between 2020 and 2025.
The minister added that ongoing port modernisation projects and plans to develop new deep seaports in Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Lagos and Ondo states would further position Nigeria as West Africa’s preferred maritime hub.
He also said improved port operations had helped Nigeria maintain a trade surplus since 2024, while noting that the ministry had intensified efforts to improve inland waterway safety through collaboration with relevant agencies and state governments, including the nationwide distribution of life jackets and advocacy for replacing unsafe wooden passenger boats with modern fibre boats.
Oyetola urged coastal states to align their development strategies with the national blue economy policy while encouraging private sector investment in fisheries, aquaculture, maritime transport, tourism, shipbuilding, renewable energy and marine biotechnology.
In his keynote address, Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, commended the Federal Government for establishing the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, describing it as a strategic step toward diversifying Nigeria’s economy.
Diri disclosed that Bayelsa established its own Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy in 2024 and has since commenced large-scale fish production at the Bayelsa Aquaculture Village in Yenegwe through an operational hatchery producing quality catfish fingerlings and juveniles.
He also said the state had expanded its marine transport fleet and was pursuing the development of the proposed Agge Deep Seaport to serve as a major maritime gateway for the Niger Delta.
The governor recommended that coastal states establish dedicated marine and blue economy ministries, enact enabling legislation, properly map and secure their maritime domains, strengthen data collection and invest in skills development, innovation hubs and logistics infrastructure.
Also speaking, President and Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, represented by the Managing Director of Dangote Port Operations, Simeon Akin Omole, said sustained private sector participation would be critical to achieving the objectives of the National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy.
He said 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 half of new jobs for young Nigerians between the ages of 18 and 35.
Dangote identified policy consistency, quality infrastructure, access to finance and investor confidence as key drivers of industrial transformation, while highlighting infrastructure-led industrialisation, value-chain development and stronger public-private partnerships as essential to unlocking the sector’s full potential.
He said government approvals for new deep seaport projects across the country would stimulate industrial clusters in agro-processing, petrochemicals, shipbuilding, cold-chain logistics and maritime technology.
Dangote also described the fisheries value chain as a major investment opportunity, noting that Nigeria still imports fish worth nearly one billion dollars annually despite growing domestic production.
According to him, increased investment in aquaculture, hatcheries, feed production, processing, cold-chain logistics and export infrastructure could significantly reduce imports, conserve foreign exchange, create over 500,000 jobs and position Nigeria as a leading exporter of fisheries products.
Goodwill messages were delivered by the Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Akon Eyakenyi, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Marine Transport, Senator Wasiu Sanni Eshinlokun, representatives of the governors of Ondo and Borno states, as well as private sector stakeholders, who pledged continued support for the implementation of Nigeria’s marine and blue economy agenda.
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