By Chris Agabi
The federal government is set to unlock Nigeria’s potentials to benefit from the $1.trn global blue economy.
Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy stated this when he assumed office on Tuesday after being sworn-in by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“Experts say the Blue Economy is estimated to be worth more than $1.5 trillion per year globally. Therefore, given our size as a country and considering the size of our blue economy, we should be a significant player in this sector, so as to contribute immensely to the revenue generation of our country and also provide jobs for the unemployed” he said.
“We must come up with practicable ways of ensuring that our inland rivers, lakes, and waterways are well utilised, both in terms of cargo shipment and passenger transportation. And this can be done by embarking on a holistic dredging campaign for most of our strategically important inland waterways so as to make them navigable for the passage of goods and people” he said.
“We equally have a duty to promote better inter-agency cooperation and coordination between the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, the Nigerian Ports Authority, and the Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority” he stated further.
He said the private sector will be key to driving prosperity in the ministry.
“As someone with a strong private sector background, we shall promote greater private sector inclusion while fostering greater efficiency through specialisation and the effective delineation of core duties between the units. We must seize this opportunity to create positive change, leaving a lasting legacy for generations to come. I appreciate your dedication, and I look forward to working alongside each of you in the pursuit of a better Nigeria” he said.
“These are my thoughts as I join you today. I believe that when we are able to do all these and more, we would have contributed our own quota towards realising Mr. President’s renewed Hope Agenda in the Marine and Blue Economy sector. I thank you all for welcoming me and listening to my address. I will now sit back and listen to your ideas and contributions” he noted..
