An expert in the Nigerian Blue Economy had said, in order for the government to support the new sector, innovation and research must be prioritised. Nigeria’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) stretches up to 200 nautical miles from its coastline into the Gulf of Guinea, and it offers Nigeria exceptional rights over marine resource research and exploitation.
Mr. Soji Adeleye, the CEO of Alfe City Institution, addressed at the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy’s 3-Day Ecosystem Conference on Sustainable Nigerian Blue Economy in Port Harcourt. Adeleye stated that the country has potential in the blue economy, but that proper investments are required to reap the benefits of the new economy..
He stated, “Establishing world-class maritime research and development institutions would be critical to the long-term goal of a sustainable Nigerian blue economy.” “It is crucial for the marine sector since it aids in determining the operational limits and safety of floating structures such as ships and platforms, as well as promoting the development of creative blue growth concepts.
“The marine sector has acted as a catalyst for numerous types of technological progress and growth. The success of the marine industry is dependent on innovative ideas and the development of new technologies that enable the optimal operation of shipping networks.”
“This informed the gathering of all Blue Economy stakeholders for this ecosystem meeting to promote policy creation and legislation. We believe that the potential construction of ten new ports and port cities as part of this broad engineering – in effect, ten new Lagoses – would accelerate coastal development, create new centres of economic growth, open up avenues for new transportation and infrastructure development, and provide millions of job opportunities.” Adeleye stated that the industry has the capacity to define the nation’s future economic environment, but it can only survive if it focusses on research.
He stated: “A Nigerian Blue Economy Commission would be a regenerative organisation with the ability to assist create Nigeria’s future economic environment by articulating and supervising the technology and funding required to build a new integrated economy.
“A Sustainable Nigerian Blue Economy can only thrive if it is led by a twenty-first-century autonomous entity that is proactive and responsive – an octopus-like institution that is research-driven, financially and technologically savvy, and can advocate, propose solutions, supervise, and monitor development in the ocean, along the coast, and everything that flows from it.
