The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has unveiled the NIMASA Blue Economy Accelerator Programme (NIMASA-BEAP) and National Innovation Hackathon to attract young innovators into Nigeria’s maritime and blue economy sector.
The initiative is designed to stimulate innovation and entrepreneurship, develop solutions to challenges across the maritime value chain and encourage private-sector investment in the sector.
Speaking at the unveiling, NIMASA Director-General, Dr Dayo Mobereola, described the programme as a national development imperative aimed at unlocking greater economic value from Nigeria’s maritime resources.
Mobereola said Nigeria’s maritime economy offered significant opportunities for economic diversification, job creation and increased participation of Nigerians in the maritime value chain.
“Nigeria’s maritime economy is a multi-billion naira frontier we have left largely untapped. We capture less than three percent of the value moving through our own waters. NIMASA-BEAP exists to correct that historic imbalance,” he said.
He urged young innovators and entrepreneurs to take advantage of the opportunities in the sector, charging them to “lead this frontier” rather than follow it.
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, who delivered the keynote address through the Director, Marine Conservation and Innovation, Shettima Hussein Shehu, commended NIMASA for the initiative.
Oyetola described the programme as a shift in NIMASA’s role from primarily regulation to catalysing innovation and development within the blue economy.
“I want to commend the Director-General and CEO of NIMASA, Dr Dayo Mobereola, and NIMASA’s Executive Management Team, for the vision and institutional boldness this programme represents,” the minister said.
He called on commercial banks, development finance institutions and maritime stakeholders to support the programme through investment, mentorship and strategic partnerships.
Representatives of the Nigerian Chamber of Shipping, First Bank, Zenith Bank, Fidelity Bank, Wema Bank, Shipowners Association of Nigeria (SOAN), Tamrose Limited, Petromarine Limited and Starzs Investment Limited pledged to partner with NIMASA in implementing the programme.
Under the programme’s timeline, the NIMASA-BEAP application portal will open on October 5, 2026, for young innovators aged 18 to 28.
Applications will close on November 13, 2026, while independent evaluation and due diligence will run from November 16 to December 2.
The National Innovation Hackathon is scheduled for December 8–10, 2026, with successful participants proceeding to a 12-week accelerator programme in the first quarter of 2027.
The initiative will culminate in a National Demo Day in the second quarter of 2027, providing participating ventures an opportunity to present their solutions and businesses to investors, industry stakeholders and other potential partners.
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