Tinubu Unveils New Security–Economic Blueprint to Harness Marine Wealth

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has unveiled a new national framework integrating security reforms with economic expansion to fully harness Nigeria’s marine and blue economy potential. The President issued fresh directives to ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to immediately review and implement recommendations from the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) following its nationwide study on the sector.

Speaking at a Presidential Parley with participants of the Senior Executive Course 47 of NIPSS at the Presidential Villa on Wednesday, Vice President Kashim Shettima—representing the President—said the administration’s priority is to convert Nigeria’s marine and aquatic wealth into a driver of economic diversification, job creation and long-term national prosperity.

Tinubu said the blue economy offers “a strategic pathway for diversifying our revenue base, creating sustainable employment and revitalising the ecosystems that sustain national development,” stressing that the sector could become “an anchor of shared prosperity” if efficiently developed.

He commended NIPSS for producing a rigorous and timely study, noting that the report outlines opportunities Nigeria must exploit, challenges to confront and policy areas requiring urgent refinement. The President highlighted the country’s extensive marine resources an 853-kilometre coastline, vast inland waterways, rich fisheries and a prime location in the Gulf of Guinea as critical foundations for future growth.

According to him, the administration is prioritising port and maritime corridor modernisation, aquaculture expansion, marine biotechnology, coastal tourism and renewable ocean energy. These opportunities, he said, “lie within our grasp if we act with discipline and intentionality.”

Tinubu reaffirmed his government’s commitment to reforming the maritime space through the establishment of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, which he described as central to improving port management systems, enhancing maritime security and enabling private-sector expansion. However, he insisted that economic ambitions cannot be achieved without a stable environment.

While acknowledging improvements in maritime security particularly through the Deep Blue Project—Tinubu warned that oil theft, illegal fishing, smuggling, vandalism and kidnapping continue to erode national revenue, threaten livelihoods and weaken investor confidence. “These threats are real, and this Administration is taking decisive steps to address them,” he said.

To strengthen national security planning, the President directed NIPSS to conduct a nationwide security diagnostic and present actionable recommendations to guide future reforms. He assured that the policy paper will receive “the utmost attention.”

Earlier, NIPSS Director-General Prof. Ayo Omotayo expressed appreciation for the support received from the President and the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun. He explained that the SEC 47 team visited several states and 14 countries in developing the report titled Blue Economy and Sustainable Development in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges and Opportunities.

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Colonel Murkar Dauda, representing the study group, said the Federal Government was already addressing key gaps in the sector but must deepen reforms to unlock full value. The report identified governance weaknesses, poor coordination, inadequate infrastructure and limited policy coherence as major obstacles hindering blue economy growth.

It emphasised that fisheries and aquaculture remain “strong entry points” for boosting revenue. Among its recommendations, the report urged government to launch a national fisheries expansion programme to raise fish production from the current 1.2 million metric tonnes to 10 million metric tonnes in two years, expand marine revenue sources and create a comprehensive financing framework.

Other proposals include harmonising all legal and institutional frameworks, enhancing safety on inland waterways, and establishing new skills, jobs and social inclusion programmes to build a modern blue economy workforce.