Dangote urges investment in blue economy to generate 500,000 jobs

The President of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, has called for targeted private sector investment in Nigeria’s fisheries and maritime sector, saying the move could generate over 500,000 jobs and significantly reduce the country’s annual fish import bill of nearly $1bn.

Dangote made the case at the Second Quarter 2026 Citizens’ and Stakeholders’ Engagement of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy in Lagos, where he was represented by the Managing Director of Dangote Port Operations, Simeon Omole.

“Strategic investment across the fisheries value chain, from aquaculture and hatcheries to feed production, cold-chain logistics, processing, and export infrastructure, supported by private sector leadership and an enabling government environment, can strengthen food security, reduce imports, conserve foreign exchange, create over 500,000 jobs, and position Nigeria as a competitive exporter of fisheries products,” Dangote said.

He identified infrastructure-led industrialisation, value-chain development and stronger public-private partnerships as the three pillars needed to unlock the sector’s potential, and noted that the Federal Government’s approval of deep seaport projects across the country would stimulate industrial clusters in agro-processing, petrochemicals, shipbuilding and maritime technology.

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Dangote added that the National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy targets the creation of three million jobs within its first four years, annual sectoral growth of seven per cent and a minimum of 50 per cent of new jobs reserved for Nigerians aged 18 to 35.

Also speaking, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, called for stronger collaboration between federal and state governments, the private sector and development partners to drive implementation of the policy.

“Many of the country’s blue economy assets are located within states and communities, making sub-national governments indispensable partners in driving investment, creating jobs, improving food security and promoting environmental sustainability,” Oyetola said.