President Bola Tinubu has announced a new economic and security framework to unlock Nigeria’s potential in the blue economy, focusing on maritime development, job creation, and sustainable growth.
Speaking on Wednesday at a Presidential Parley with Senior Executive Course 47 of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) in Abuja, Tinubu, represented by Vice-President Kashim Shettima, said the government is committed to converting Nigeria’s marine resources into a key driver of national prosperity.
The president instructed relevant government agencies to implement recommendations from NIPSS’s study on the blue economy. He emphasised that Nigeria’s 853-kilometre coastline, abundant fisheries, inland waterways, and strategic Gulf of Guinea location offer significant opportunities for development.
Key priorities outlined include aquaculture expansion, modernisation of ports and maritime corridors, coastal tourism, marine biotechnology, and renewable ocean energy. Tinubu stressed that a secure environment is essential for economic ambitions and warned that illegal fishing, oil theft, smuggling, vandalism, and kidnapping continue to threaten national revenue.
The president further expanded NIPSS’s mandate to include a nationwide security assessment to guide reforms in Nigeria’s security architecture.
The NIPSS report, “Blue Economy and Sustainable Development in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges and Opportunities”, was presented by the Monitor General of Course 47, Col. Muktar Dauda, who commended the administration’s “visionary leadership” in driving the economy.
