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Tag: Blue Economy

  • Evolve Clear Maritime Vision For Nigeria’s Sustainable Blue Economy, NIMENA President Urges Stakeholders

     

     

    By Dianabasi Effiong

    Stakeholders in Nigeria’s Blue Economy have been urged to evolve a clear national maritime vision to ensure a sustainable blue economy for the country.

    Dr Sylvanus Eferebo, the National Chairman, Nigerian Institution of Marine Engineers and Naval Architects (NIMENA), made this known on Friday at the opening of the 14th Annual Conference of NIMENA in Port Harcourt.

    Eferebo also Fellow, Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), said that in tune with the theme of the 14th national conference, digital transformation, smart solutions could enhance policy reforms in Nigeria’s maritime industry.

    In an interview with Maritime Reporters on the sidelines of the conference on Friday in Port Harcourt, he said, “Last year, we discussed policy and regulation. This time, we are talking about digital transformation because we want smart processes and solutions in terms of addressing our problem.

    “As an institution, we are policy advocates, but we do not enforce shaping policy to help the government. Now, every year, we choose one relevant topic. We must also know that maritime is a global phenomenon, not just about Nigeria. So, Nigeria cannot afford to sit and watch while other nations are looking ahead. We have to be updated in line with the global trend.

    “Even these challenges, including rickety crafts, overloading, poor maintenance, marine accidents, and dirty waters, boat mishaps, are caused by a lack of solutions. This conference boils down to policies, digital transformation can be applied in policy reforms.

    “We have different subtopics especially on how we can be sovereign in having our solutions. These are the structured pathways that we are looking at Conferences like this collaborate and engage. All of this will serve as an advisory. We come up with a communication that can be used in policy aggregation. We have industry experts, policy makers, the academia, every group; a complete ecosystem.”

     

    According to him, the resolutions from the institution’s yearly conferences had galvanised policy changes.

    “Yes, part of the recommendations that we rolled out in previous years are what have informed the current engineering regulations. In fact, critical members of this institution are part of drafting the regulations we talk about. I personally am the chairman of COREN ERM&E (that is Council of Registered Engineers of Nigeria, Engineering, Regulation, Monitoring and Enforcement) committee. I was also one of the principal members of the institution.

    “We are also part of the people who viewed the COREN regulations that have just been gazetted for marine engineers and marine architects. We cannot be separated from the regulatory bodies.

    “Just as one of our presenters, Chandni Jaja, a Singaporean, said, we need to have a clear national vision for maritime. When we have that, we will now get a structured roadmap or pathway to having a sustainable blue economy, and we will need fine steps to take. It will form one single national maritime vision.

    “She has made it clear that Nigeria has the potential to lead Africa’s maritime industry. We have huge assets in the blue economy; the long coastline, the highest oil and gas activities happening over a vast area, and young people who are resilient and brilliant enough to create solutions.

    “Nigeria has to create a pathway to advance our blue economy.
    As it is now, we have different agencies doing their own things. We must come together to forge one national vision, one pathway.

    “Singapore’s national asset is the sea. So, they now forge a national vision that surrounds the sea and everybody works toward this vision. Until we create ours, we won’t move forward,” Eferebo said.

    He said that Nigeria’s maritime and blue economy vision’s pathway should be driven by dedicated stakeholders, including NIMENA.

    “NIMENA has come out from the professional angle to form this advocacy. You cannot talk about sustainability without engineering infrastructure. So, that is the reason why, as the foremost institution, we have come for this. For over two years, we have talked about the blue economy and one of our members has been appointed as Special Adviser to a governor (Ondo State).

    “We are doing our best to see how we can work within the scope of our jurisdiction. Now, we need to have a national discussion and chart a national roadmap for the advancement of the blue economy.

    “One of the principal things is that NIMENA is also a part of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE). In the larger of the NSEs, we have a voice.

    “We are having a national conference in Ibadan (Oyo State) next week and I am a speaker there. The themes: are Engineering Innovation for Sustainable Blue Economy. It is attracting world leaders, national leaders, etc.

    “We expect that at the end of this discussion, we will be able to take what we have resolved to a national advisory note for policymakers to do their work. The good thing about professional conferences like this is that we go deep into technical aspects, and that is what we are doing here.

    “We may not have that depth in the general one, but at the end of the day, as a division, we will link up and come up with a robust policy framework.

    “As Changdi said, the key issue is not technology but policy and efficient regulation,” Eferebo added.

    He said Minister and President Bola Tinubu were key drivers of the transformation.

    He said’ “The President has done well by creating a Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy. That Ministry has a lot of responsibilities, though a baby ministry. They are one of the key sponsors of the NSE Conference next week. These conversations are ongoing.”

    According to him, there is a “very big hope that the Blue Economy is happening” in Nigeria.

    The Conference, tagged “DigiMarTSS 2025” had as its theme ‘Digital Maritime Transformation and Smart Solutions: A Pathway to the Advancement of Nigeria’s
    Blue Economy.’

    According to the organisers, the conference serves as a premier platform for stakeholders, including the Energy and Maritime Reporters of Nigeria (EMR), industry experts, policymakers, and academics to collaborate, promote innovation, and advance Nigeria’s maritime and blue economy sectors.

  • Blue Economy Ministry, NIPSS partner to boost fish production

    Blue Economy Ministry, NIPSS partner to boost fish production

    (L-R: Director of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr Wellington Omoragbon; Executive Director, Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research (NIOMR), Prof. Abiodun Sule; Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr Olufemi Oloruntola; Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola; Director-General, National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Prof. Ayo Omotayo; and Executive Secretary/CEO, Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Dr Pius Akutah, at the opening of a two-day Roundtable Discussion on ‘Accelerating National Fish Production’ in Victoria Island, Lagos, on Wednesday)

     

     

    The Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy has partnered with the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) to boost fish production and bridge Nigeria’s 2.2 million metric tonne deficit.
    The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola, stated this at a two-day round table on accelerating national fish production held on Wednesday in Lagos Oct. 29, 2025.
    Oyetola said the collaboration would close Nigeria’s supply gap through a coordinated policy roadmap and targeted investment strategies across the fisheries and aquaculture subsector.
    He noted that the partnership marked a major step in implementing President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises food security, job creation, and economic diversification.
    “Current output meets only about 38.9 per cent of the 3.6 million metric tonnes required annually. The 2.2 million metric tonne deficit is unsustainable,” Oyetola said.
    He said the round table would produce a National Fish Production Acceleration Roadmap to guide future investments and reforms in the sector.
    The minister added that new legal frameworks, including the Fisheries Bill and the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy, were being developed to improve sustainability and governance.
    He also highlighted ongoing digital reforms, such as automating fisheries operations and establishing a Blue Data Bank in partnership with the World Bank’s PROBLUE Programme.
    Oyetola said initiatives like the Green Money Project were empowering youth and women through aquaculture training and input support.
    Director-General of NIPSS, Prof. Ayo Omotayo, reaffirmed the Institute’s commitment to promoting evidence-based policies that would help Nigeria attain fish self-sufficiency.
    Omotayo said NIPSS would continue working with the ministry to turn the forum’s outcomes into actionable strategies for national implementation.
    The two-day event brought together experts, operators, and other stakeholders to generate recommendations for national policy.
    It was also expected to guide investment decisions aimed at increasing local fish production, cutting imports, and ensuring sustainable growth within Nigeria’s Blue Economy.

     

  • Appoint blue economy coordinating minister – Master Mariners

    Appoint blue economy coordinating minister – Master Mariners

     

    Lagos June 15, 2025, The Nigerian Association of Master Mariners (NAMM) has urged the Federal Government to appoint the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy as the Coordinating Minister for the Blue Economy to ensure effective governance.

    Capt. Iheanacho Ebubeogu, a Master Mariner gave this recommendation during NAMM’s First Quarterly Paper presentation held in Lagos on Sunday.

    (Caption: From 3rd left: Capt. Iheanacho Ebubeogu, a Master Marine, Capt. Adewale Ishola, President of the Nigeria Association of Master Mariner, Capt. Tajudeen Alao among other during the first quarterly meeting of the association held in Lagos on Sunday)

    The lecture had the title “Governance of Marine Spaces in a Marine and Blue Economy Model – Issues, Challenges and Approach”.

    Ebubeogu, an expert in maritime governance, emphasised the increasing complexity and overlapping responsibilities of various government agencies operating within Nigeria’s marine environment.

    He highlighted the need for a centralised and empowered leadership structure, while commendinh the establishment of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and the recent approval of the national marine and blue economy policy as significant advancements.

    He, however, stressed that a more structured and authoritative governance framework is essential for Nigeria to fully harness the economic and ecological potential of its marine spaces.

    Ebubeogu said that just as the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Health function as coordinating ministries for their sectors, the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy should be recognised as the coordinating body for the blue economy

    Ebubeogu said that the growing complexity and overlapping mandates of various government agencies operating within Nigeria’s marine environment necessitate a centralised and empowered leadership structure.

    According to him, agencies such as the Ministries of Petroleum Resources, Agriculture, Water Resources, Communications, Power, and Interior all have operational interests in marine spaces.

    He said that without a clearly designated coordinating authority, these overlapping interests could lead to policy conflicts, regulatory inefficiencies, and unsustainable practices.

    Ebubeogu advocated for a formal review of the ministerial designation, recommending that the title should be changed to Minister of Marine and Blue Economy and Coordinating Minister of the Blue Economy.

    Ebubeogu said that changing to the recommended status would reflected to the leadership and necessary control for integrated marine governance.

    The master mariner emphasised that effective coordination was essential for aligning national objectives with the principles of sustainability, economic growth, and environmental protection, key components of the blue economy framework.

    He noted that the marine spaces served as the foundational platform for blue economy activities such as fisheries, tourism, marine transport, offshore energy, and aquaculture were built.

    Similarly, President of NAMM, Capt. Tajudeen Alao, said such steps would be crucial for structuring and sustaining marine sector development in Nigeria.

    He explained that the first quarter meeting was designed to engage stakeholders and deepen public understanding of the evolving concept of the marine and blue economy.

    Alao, same professional with global experience, noted that Nigerian Master Mariners were not only well-prepared to support the blue economy drive but had been at the forefront of advocating best practices long before the term became mainstream locally.

    Responding to the recommendation made during the lecture for the appointment of a cordinating minister to oversee the blue economy, Alao supported the idea, describing it as long overdue.

    Alao emphasised the need for streamlined leadership, adding that the role of the Nigerian Association of Master Mariners was to advise government, regulators, and stakeholders on the most sustainable approaches to maritime development.

    “The concept of the blue economy is still not well understood by many. People view it from different angles. What this presentation has done is to provide proper insights into what it truly means and how we can move forward.

    “It has taken us many years to get here. We’ve advocated for a dedicated maritime ministry, for presidential and vice-presidential attention to maritime affairs.

    “If this becomes a policy directive and the Secretary to the Government accepts the framework, it will add great value to maritime operations,” Alao said.