By Sandra Chukwunyere
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola, has called for stronger collaboration among the Federal Government, state governments, the private sector and development partners to fully harness the enormous opportunities in Nigeria’s marine and blue economy.
Speaking on Thursday at the Second Quarter 2026 Citizens’ and Stakeholders’ Engagement organised by the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, Oyetola said the country had moved beyond policy formulation and must now focus on practical implementation capable of delivering jobs, investment and sustainable economic growth.
The stakeholders’ 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 operators, academics and representatives of state governments.
The minister said the National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy provides a comprehensive roadmap for developing Nigeria’s oceans, inland waterways, fisheries and coastal resources, stressing that its success would depend largely on active participation by state governments.
According to him, many of the country’s marine assets are located within coastal states and local communities, making sub-national governments critical partners in attracting investment, creating employment, strengthening food security and ensuring environmental sustainability.
Oyetola said the reforms being implemented under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda had improved stakeholder confidence, enhanced maritime safety, attracted fresh investments and boosted the competitiveness of Nigerian ports.
He pointed to the 2025 Container Port Performance Index published by the World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence, which ranked Tin Can Island Port as the world’s tenth most improved container port and the Lagos Port Complex, Apapa, as the twelfth most improved between 2020 and 2025.
He added that ongoing port modernisation projects, alongside plans to develop new deep seaports in Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Lagos and Ondo states, would further strengthen Nigeria’s position as the preferred maritime hub in West Africa.
The minister also said improvements in port operations had contributed to Nigeria recording a consistent trade surplus since 2024.
On safety along the nation’s inland waterways, Oyetola said the ministry had intensified collaboration with relevant agencies and state governments to reduce boat accidents through the nationwide distribution of life jackets and renewed advocacy for the replacement of unsafe wooden passenger boats with modern fibre boats.
He urged state governments to align their development plans with the National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy and create an enabling environment for private investment in fisheries, aquaculture, maritime transport, tourism, shipbuilding, renewable energy and marine biotechnology, saying such collaboration would accelerate the growth of the sector and unlock its full economic potential.
