By Godswill Michael
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola, has called for stronger private sector investment and closer collaboration between the Federal Government, state governments and development partners to accelerate the implementation of Nigeria’s National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy.
Oyetola made the call on Thursday at the Second Quarter 2026 Citizens’ and Stakeholders’ Engagement of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy in Lagos.
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.
The minister said Nigeria had moved beyond policy formulation and must now concentrate on implementation capable of delivering tangible economic benefits.
According to him, the National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy provides a strategic framework for harnessing the country’s oceans, inland waterways, fisheries and coastal resources, but its success depends on coordinated action and sustained private investment.
He noted that many of Nigeria’s blue economy assets are located within states and local communities, making sub-national governments critical to attracting investment, creating jobs, improving food security and promoting environmental sustainability.
Oyetola urged coastal states to align their development plans with the national policy while encouraging private investment in fisheries, aquaculture, maritime transport, tourism, shipbuilding, renewable energy and marine biotechnology.
Delivering the keynote address, Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Duoye Diri, commended President Bola Tinubu for establishing the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, describing it as “a strategic step towards diversifying Nigeria’s economy.”
Diri said Bayelsa created its own Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy in June 2024 to drive the blue economy component of the state’s A-S-S-U-R-E-D Prosperity Agenda.
He disclosed that the state had commenced large-scale fish production at the Bayelsa Aquaculture Village in Yenegwe, expanded its marine transport fleet and was pursuing the proposed Agge Deep Seaport.
The governor also urged other coastal states to establish dedicated ministries, enact enabling legislation, secure their maritime domains and invest in data, skills development and infrastructure to maximise opportunities in the sector.
In his presentation, President and Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, represented by the Managing Director of Dangote Port Operations, Simeon Akin Omole, stressed the importance of private sector participation.
He said the successful implementation of the national policy “would depend largely on sustained private sector participation.”
According to him, 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 50 per cent of new jobs for young people between the ages of 18 and 35.
Dangote said industrial transformation requires policy consistency, quality infrastructure, access to finance and investor confidence.
He added that infrastructure-led industrialisation, value-chain development and stronger public-private partnerships remain the three pillars needed to unlock the sector’s vast economic potential.
He also identified fisheries as one of the country’s biggest investment opportunities, saying increased investment could reduce fish imports, conserve foreign exchange, create more than 500,000 jobs and position Nigeria as a leading exporter of fisheries products.