President Bola Tinubu has unveiled a national blue economy action plan targeting five million ocean-based jobs by 2035, pledging to transform Nigeria’s 853-kilometre coastline and strategic Gulf of Guinea position into a platform for fisheries expansion, maritime tourism, shipping growth, and renewable energy development.
Tinubu, represented at the 11th Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa, Kenya by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sola Enikanolaiye, said the establishment of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy shortly after he assumed office in 2023 reflected his administration’s determination to systematically unlock the economic potential of Nigeria’s marine resources rather than leaving them underdeveloped.
He pledged stronger enforcement against illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, which he described as a major threat to food security and economic stability across Africa, and called for deeper continental cooperation, better maritime surveillance, and enhanced enforcement mechanisms to protect African waters from exploitation.
On climate and environment, he announced commitments to expand marine protected areas by 2030, restore half of Nigeria’s degraded mangroves, and lead a continent-wide campaign against single-use plastics. He also highlighted Nigeria’s record in maritime security, saying modern naval technology and capabilities had produced a significant reduction in Gulf of Guinea piracy incidents that had previously threatened commercial shipping and regional trade.
Tinubu called for stronger partnerships among African coastal states, development finance institutions, the private sector, and civil society to mobilize sustainable financing for ocean-related projects, delivering what he described as Nigeria’s message to the international community that the ocean was a common heritage requiring collective stewardship.
