President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has unveiled a new national security and economic framework aimed at harnessing Nigeria’s vast marine and aquatic resources as a catalyst for economic diversification, job creation and sustainable growth.
The President, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, made this known on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, during an interactive session with participants of Senior Executive Course 47 of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS).
He directed relevant ministries, departments and agencies to immediately study and begin implementing recommendations contained in the NIPSS report on blue economy development, describing the document as a critical roadmap for national advancement.
In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications to the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, Tinubu said the blue economy presents a strategic opportunity to expand Nigeria’s revenue base, generate sustainable employment and restore ecosystems vital to national development.
“If properly harnessed, this sector can become an anchor of shared prosperity for generations,” the President said.
Read Also: Uproar over Adeleke exchange unnecessary – Remi Tinubu
He commended NIPSS for its analytical depth and patriotic contribution, noting that Nigeria’s 853-kilometre coastline, rich fisheries, extensive inland waterways and strategic Atlantic location give the country a strong footing in the global maritime space.
Tinubu identified aquaculture expansion, port and maritime corridor modernisation, coastal tourism, marine biotechnology and renewable ocean energy as priority focus areas of his administration.
“These opportunities lie within our grasp if we act with discipline and intentionality,” he added.
Reaffirming his reform agenda, the President said the establishment of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy was a deliberate move to strengthen port management, enhance maritime security and deepen private-sector participation.
He, however, cautioned that the full potential of the blue economy cannot be realised without a secure and stable operating environment.
While noting that piracy had reduced through the Deep Blue Project, he cautioned that “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.”
In a major policy move, the President also assigned NIPSS an expanded national security mandate, directing the institute to conduct a nationwide security diagnostic and present practical recommendations for overhauling the country’s security architecture.
“The policy paper shall be submitted to my office within an agreed timeline, and it will receive the utmost attention,” he assured.
Earlier, the Director-General of NIPSS, Prof. Ayo Omotayo, commended the President and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, for supporting the Senior Executive Course, noting that participants had conducted field studies in several states and 14 countries.
Presenting highlights of the report titled Blue Economy and Sustainable Development in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges and Opportunities, Colonel Murkar Dauda said systemic governance gaps, weak institutional coordination, and sub-standard infrastructure remained obstacles, but stressed that fisheries, aquaculture, and expanded marine revenues offer substantial opportunities.
Among its recommendations, the report urged the Federal Government to launch a national fisheries expansion programme to raise fish production from 1.2 million metric tonnes to 10 million metric tonnes within two years, develop a comprehensive financing framework for the marine and blue economy, harmonise legal and policy regimes, and strengthen safety and security on inland waterways.
The report also called for the establishment of an innovative skills, job-creation, and social-inclusion framework to support sustainable growth in the sector.
