Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola, has intensified the call for state governments and the private sector to take a more active role in implementing Nigeria’s National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy, insisting that coordinated action is critical to unlocking the sector’s vast economic potential and accelerating national development.
Speaking on 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, Oyetola said the time for policy formulation had passed and that Nigeria must now move decisively from strategy to implementation.
The engagement, themed “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.
‘States Must Drive Implementation’
The minister said the National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy provides a robust framework for harnessing Nigeria’s oceans, inland waterways, fisheries and coastal resources, but stressed that its success would depend largely on the commitment of state governments, private investors and development partners.
According to him, many of the nation’s blue economy assets are located within states and coastal communities, making sub-national governments indispensable in attracting investment, creating jobs, strengthening food security and promoting environmental sustainability.
Oyetola urged governors to align their development plans with the national policy and create an enabling environment for investments in fisheries, aquaculture, maritime transport, tourism, shipbuilding, renewable energy and marine biotechnology.
He said reforms under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda have already begun transforming the maritime sector through improved stakeholder engagement, enhanced maritime safety, increased investment and greater port competitiveness.
Highlighting recent achievements, Oyetola 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 world’s 10th most improved port and Lagos Port Complex, Apapa, as the 12th most improved between 2020 and 2025.
He added that ongoing port modernisation projects and plans to establish new deep seaports in Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Lagos and Ondo states would further position Nigeria as West Africa’s preferred maritime hub.
The minister also attributed Nigeria’s sustained national trade surplus since 2024 partly to improved port efficiency and disclosed that the ministry had stepped up efforts to improve inland waterway safety through nationwide distribution of life jackets and advocacy for the replacement of unsafe wooden passenger boats with modern fibre boats.
Diri Urges Coastal States to Take the Lead
Delivering the keynote address, Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, described the establishment of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy as a bold step towards diversifying Nigeria’s economy.
He said Bayelsa had demonstrated its commitment by creating its own Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy in June 2024 to drive implementation of the blue economy component of the state’s A-S-S-U-R-E-D Prosperity Agenda.
Diri disclosed that the Bayelsa Aquaculture Village in Yenegwe had commenced large-scale fish production through an operational hatchery breeding quality catfish fingerlings and juveniles to boost food security and employment.
He also highlighted the state’s expanded marine transport fleet and ongoing efforts to develop the proposed Agge Deep Seaport as a strategic maritime gateway for the Niger Delta.
The governor urged other coastal states to seize the opportunities presented by the blue economy by establishing dedicated ministries, enacting enabling laws, mapping and securing their maritime domains, investing in reliable data systems and developing skills, innovation hubs and logistics infrastructure.
Dangote: Private Investment Is Key
Speaking on private sector investment and industrialisation, President and Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, said achieving the ambitious targets of the National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy would require sustained private sector investment.
Represented by the Managing Director of Dangote Port Operations, Simeon Akin Omole, Dangote noted that the policy aims to create three million jobs within its first four years, achieve annual sectoral growth of seven per cent and reserve at least half of new jobs for young Nigerians between the ages of 18 and 35.
He identified policy consistency, quality infrastructure, access to finance and investor confidence as the foundations for industrial transformation.
Dangote said investments in deep seaports, industrial clusters, fisheries, aquaculture, shipbuilding, maritime technology, cold-chain logistics and export infrastructure could significantly reduce fish imports, conserve foreign exchange, create more than 500,000 jobs and position Nigeria as a major exporter of fisheries products.
He also called for stronger public-private partnerships that extend beyond financing to include collaboration among government, investors, research institutions and host communities.
Goodwill messages were delivered by the Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator (Dr.) Akon Eyakenyi; Chairman of the Senate Committee on Marine Transport, Senator Wasiu Sanni Eshinlokun; representatives of the governors of Ondo and Borno states; and private sector stakeholders, all of whom reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the implementation of Nigeria’s marine and blue economy agenda.