By Obiabin Onukwugha
The federal government has announced a new security and economic framework aimed at unlocking Nigeria’s vast marine and aquatic resources under the blue economy.
The federal government also directed all relevant ministries, departments, and agencies to immediately review and implement recommendations by the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies’ (NIPSS) comprehensive study on blue economy development in the country.
President Bola Tinubu, gave the directive at a Parley with participants of Senior Executive Course 47 of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) at the Presidential Villa, in Abuja on Wednesday.
Tinubu, who was represented by his deputy, Vice President Kashim Shettima, said the administration is committed to converting Nigeria’s maritime potential into a major driver of economic diversification, job creation and long-term prosperity.
“The blue economy offers a strategic pathway for diversifying our revenue base, creating sustainable employment and revitalising the ecosystems that sustain national development. If properly harnessed, this sector could become an anchor of shared prosperity for generations,” he said.
A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to The President on Media & Communications, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Kingsley Nkwocha, said the President welcomed the findings of the NIPSS study on Blue Economy and Sustainable Development in Nigeria, describing it as a timely resource that outlines the “opportunities we must seize, the challenges we must confront and the policies we must refine.”
He praised the institute for sustaining what he called its tradition of analytical rigour, creativity and patriotic duty.
Tinubu noted that Nigeria’s marine endowments, including an 853-kilometre coastline, rich fisheries, extensive inland waterways and a strategic location within the Gulf of Guinea, place the country in a strong position to build new growth avenues.
He pointed out that his administration is prioritising aquaculture expansion, port and maritime corridor modernisation, coastal tourism, marine biotechnology and renewable ocean energy, saying. “These opportunities lie within our grasp if we act with discipline and intentionality.”
The president, who reaffirmed his administration’s reform agenda, highlighted the establishment of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy as a critical step toward improving port management systems, strengthening maritime security operations and enabling private-sector growth.
He also acknowledged that more work lies ahead and directed all relevant ministries, departments and agencies to immediately study and prepare to implement the NIPSS recommendations, while stressing that economic ambitions in the blue economy cannot be realised without a safe and stable environment.
Tinubu also warned that while piracy has reduced through the Deep Blue Project, oil theft, illegal fishing, smuggling, vandalism and kidnapping still undermine national revenues and investor confidence.
“These threats are real, and this Administration is taking decisive steps to address them,” he said.
President Tinubu also assigned NIPSS an expanded national security mandate, ordering the institute to conduct a nationwide security diagnostic and develop actionable recommendations to guide reforms in Nigeria’s security architecture.
“The policy paper shall be submitted to my office within an agreed timeline, and it will receive the utmost attention,” he further stated.
Earlier, the Director-General of NPISS, Prof. Ayo Omotayo, thanked President Tinubu for the support the institution has received, just as he appreciated the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, for providing funding for SEC 47.
He noted that the team visited several Nigerian states and 14 countries outside Nigeria, and were at the Presidential Villa to present their findings titled “Blue Economy and Sustainable Development in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges and Opportunities.”
Highlighting the content of the report, Colonel Murkar Dauda, said the Federal Government was already addressing systemic gaps in the blue economy, while commending the President for his visionary leadership in driving the economy.
Among other issues, the report noted challenges of governance, institutional coordination, and policy coherence, as well as the fact that available infrastructure falls below global standards. The report further emphasized the opportunities available in Nigeria.
“Fisheries and aquaculture remain strong entry points for Nigeria,” the report added, advising that diversifying revenue sources will unlock new earnings for the country.
In its recommendations, the Federal Government was advised to launch a national fisheries expansion programme, leveraging public-private investments to increase fish production from the current 1.2 metric tonnes to 10 metric tonnes within two years.
The report also recommended expanding the revenue base of the marine and blue economy sector, while developing a comprehensive marine and blue economy financing framework.
Additionally, the report stressed that the Federal Government should review and harmonize all legal, policy, and institutional frameworks on the marine and blue economy; establish an innovative marine and blue economy skills, job creation, and social inclusion framework, as well as enhance the safety and security of inland water bodies, among others.
