President Tinubu unveils a national Blue Economy framework to diversify Nigeria’s economy, create jobs, and enhance maritime security

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has launched a national security and economic framework to harness Nigeria’s marine and aquatic resources for economic diversification, job creation, and sustainable growth.

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The announcement was made on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, during a briefing with participants of Senior Executive Course 47 of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS).

Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, President Tinubu directed all relevant ministries, departments, and agencies to review and implement recommendations in the NIPSS report on blue economy development.

In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications in the Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, the President described the initiative as a “strategic pathway for diversifying our revenue base, creating sustainable employment and revitalising ecosystems that sustain national development.”

President Tinubu commended NIPSS for its “analytical rigour, creativity and patriotic duty,” noting that Nigeria’s 853-kilometre coastline, rich fisheries, inland waterways, and strategic Atlantic location position the country for global maritime competitiveness.

Priority sectors highlighted include aquaculture expansion, port modernisation, coastal tourism, marine biotechnology, and renewable ocean energy.

The President emphasised that security remains crucial for realising the blue economy’s full potential.

While piracy has declined under the Deep Blue Project, he warned that oil theft, illegal fishing, smuggling, vandalism, and kidnapping still threaten national revenues and investor confidence.

In a major policy directive, Tinubu assigned NIPSS an expanded national security mandate to conduct a nationwide security diagnostic and provide actionable recommendations for overhauling the country’s security architecture.

NIPSS Director-General Prof. Ayo Omotayo praised the President and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, for supporting the Senior Executive Course.

Colonel Murkar Dauda, presenting the report, identified systemic governance gaps, weak institutional coordination, and sub-standard infrastructure as challenges, while underlining fisheries, aquaculture, and marine revenues as significant opportunities.

Key recommendations include launching a national fisheries expansion programme to increase fish production from 1.2 million to 10 million metric tonnes within two years, developing a comprehensive financing framework for the sector, harmonising legal and policy regimes, and strengthening inland waterway safety.

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The report also advocates an innovative skills, job-creation, and social-inclusion framework to support sustainable growth in the blue economy.