President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has announced a comprehensive security and economic framework aimed at harnessing Nigeria’s vast marine and aquatic resources under the blue economy, identifying it as a critical sector for national transformation.
The President directed all relevant ministries, departments, and agencies to immediately review and implement recommendations from the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) comprehensive study on blue economy development.
Speaking during a Presidential Parley with participants of Senior Executive Course 47 of NIPSS at the Presidential Villa, President Tinubu represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima emphasized the administration’s commitment to turning Nigeria’s maritime potential into a key driver of economic diversification, job creation, and sustainable prosperity.
“The blue economy offers a strategic pathway for diversifying our revenue base, creating sustainable employment, and revitalizing ecosystems that sustain national development. If properly harnessed, this sector could become an anchor of shared prosperity for generations,”
President Tinubu lauded the findings of the NIPSS study titled “Blue Economy and Sustainable Development in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges and Opportunities”, describing it as a timely resource that outlines opportunities, challenges, and policy directions.
He commended the institute for its analytical rigor, creativity, and patriotic duty.
Highlighting Nigeria’s strategic maritime assets, the President noted the country’s 853-kilometre coastline, rich fisheries, extensive inland waterways, and position within the Gulf of Guinea as key enablers for economic growth.
He said the administration is prioritizing aquaculture expansion, port and maritime corridor modernization, coastal tourism, marine biotechnology, and renewable ocean energy.
“These opportunities lie within our grasp if we act with discipline and intentionality,” he added.
The President also reaffirmed the government’s reform agenda, including the establishment of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy to improve port management, strengthen maritime security, and stimulate private-sector growth.
He called for the immediate study and implementation of NIPSS recommendations by all relevant agencies.
Acknowledging ongoing security challenges, President Tinubu stressed that economic ambitions in the blue economy cannot be realized without a safe and stable environment.
While piracy has declined through the Deep Blue Project, he warned that oil theft, illegal fishing, smuggling, vandalism, and kidnapping continue to threaten revenues and investor confidence.
In addition, the President assigned NIPSS an pexpanded national security mandate, directing the institute to conduct a nationwide security diagnostic and provide actionable recommendations to guide reforms in Nigeria’s security architecture.
Earlier, NIPSS Director-General, Prof. Ayo Omotayo, thanked President Tinubu for institutional support and funding provided by Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, for SEC 47. He highlighted the institute’s visits to several Nigerian states and 14 countries abroad, culminating in the presentation of the blue economy report at the Presidential Villa.
The report identified governance, institutional coordination, and infrastructure gaps as major challenges while emphasizing opportunities in fisheries, aquaculture, and revenue diversification.
Among its recommendations, the report called for a national fisheries expansion program, aiming to increase fish production from 1.2 metric tonnes to 10 metric tonnes within two years, develop a comprehensive financing framework, harmonize legal and policy frameworks, and establish programs for skills development, job creation, and social inclusion in the marine and blue economy sector.