the DG flanked by NIMASA management team and Media Managers

Like we say at Maritime Nigeria (www.maritimenig.com), the world from water emerged. It is therefore to be expected that the wealth of the oceans the land depends for its daily survival, sustenance, maintenance and regeneration from age to age. Thus the statement that he who controls the riches of the oceans controls the riches of the world remains indisputable.

While the Blue Economy is not a new concept, the advocacy and pursuit of its actualization as advanced by the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dr. Peterside Dakuku, is beginning to stir Nigerians into the realization and how best to harness the resources embedded in Nigerian waters.

Like one emboldened by the clarity and practicability of a vision, Dr. Dakuku Peterside has repeatedly stated that in order to harness the opportunities derivable from the Blue Economy in Africa, there is need for a proper framework and structure which will enhance the coordination of the Nigerian maritime sector.

While identifying Funding, Policy Framework and Investments inputs as hurdles to unleashing the Blue Sea Economy potentials, he posited that participatory engagements, agenda setting, policy design/implementation and multi sector partnerships are key areas that must be considered if the local contents of the Blue Economy are to have impact and redirect the fortunes of Nigerians.

At a recent meeting with maritime media stakeholders, Dakuku reiterated that what Nigeria has as resources in the seas, beneath/within its waters is more than what oil and gas has to offer.

According to him ignorance, lack of knowledge/expertise are factors hindering exploitation of the Blue Economy options.

In his words “our people lack knowledge of the potentials of the Blue Economy which other countries are harnessing. For instance, while the Asians, Koreans, Chinese, Japanese and Americans are busy exploiting resource of the oceans in the Common Areas where anyone is free to explore, Africans are held back by lack of knowledge and resources necessary for such deep sea exploits”

Lamenting lack of adequate policy formulation by the Federal  Government as another hurdle to the Blue economy, Dakuku pointed out that under water mining and deep sea fishing are areas from which countries earn huge income that sustain their economies-which Nigeria must look at and invest in towards maximizing the Blue Economy.

“About 70% of the earth resources are underneath the sea and has been in most cases left untapped; almost all the cities in the world begin their development from the sea which shows the underlying importance of the sea to economic and social growth. We must therefore work hard and collaboratively to actualize our blue economy sector in Africa”, Dr. Peterside said,

While identifying, maritime insecurity, criminal activities at sea, climate vulnerability, poor infrastructure among others as factors militating against development of Africa’s blue economy, Dakuku assured that NIMASA is doing all within its powers to curtail the issues relating to criminal activities in the nation’s territorial waterways.

He expressed hope that the Anti-Piracy Bill at the National Assembly would be passed soon to strengthen NIMASA in tackling and prosecuting anyone engaged in any form of criminality on Nigerian waters.

Dr. Peterside who is chairman of the Association of the African Maritime Administrations, AAMA, emphasized that

“developing the blue economy is paramount across the globe now, the public and private sectors must of necessity collaborate to sustainably harness the potentials of our maritime sector for the benefit of the Nigerian economy especially as the Federal Government continues the economic diversification initiatives”.

The blue economy in the African as advocated by the NIMASA boss covers aquatic and marine spaces including oceans, seas, coasts, lakes, rivers and underground waters. It also encompasses a range of productive sectors such as Fisheries, Aquaculture, Tourism, Transport, Ship building, energy, bio diversity, under-water mining and much more.

Dakuku therefore charged the media to engage and sensitize Nigerians on the possibilities of the Blue Economy which is a new goldmine awaiting exploration and which holds enormous potentialities to turn around the Nigerian Economy to enviable heights hitherto unimagined.