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Stakeholders demand a Ministry of Blue Economy for Akwa Ibom.
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Ibom Deep Seaport, Fish City, Oron maritime projects targeted for accelerated implementation.
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Maritime stakeholders seek jobs, skills and stronger local-content participation for Akwa Ibom youths and host communities.
September 25, (THEWILL) – Maritime stakeholders in Akwa Ibom State have called on the State Government to establish a dedicated Ministry of Blue Economy to drive the development of the State’s maritime resources, coordinate investments and accelerate the implementation of critical blue-economy projects.
The call formed part of the resolutions contained in the communiqué issued at the end of the 2026 World Maritime Day celebration organised by the Akwa Ibom State Branch of the Energy and Maritime Reporters of Nigeria (EMR) in Uyo yesterday.
The gathering, held under the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) theme, “From Policy to Practice: Powering Maritime Excellence”, and the state theme, “Unlocking Akwa Ibom’s Maritime and Blue Economy Potential Through Effective Policy Implementation, Local Content Participation and Strategic Partnerships”, brought together government representatives, maritime stakeholders, industry experts, investors, development partners, community leaders and media practitioners.
The stakeholders said Akwa Ibom possessed enormous maritime resources, including extensive waterways, coastal assets, fisheries, logistics corridors and strategic offshore and onshore opportunities capable of transforming the state into a major blue-economy hub.
They, however, observed that the potential could only translate into economic benefits if government and other stakeholders moved beyond policy declarations to the implementation of measurable projects capable of creating jobs, businesses, revenue and improved livelihoods.
The communiqué specifically identified the Ibom Deep Seaport, Ibom Fish City, Oron Maritime Infrastructure Project and Ibom Solutions Hub Industrial Park as strategic projects requiring accelerated implementation, with clear funding arrangements, timelines, accountability mechanisms and measurable milestones.
The stakeholders also called for the full operationalisation of the University of Maritime Studies, Oron, saying the institution was critical to producing the skilled manpower required to support emerging maritime infrastructure and investments in the state.
They further demanded stronger participation of host communities and Akwa Ibom indigenes in maritime value chains through skills acquisition, technical and vocational training, employment, enterprise development and local contracting opportunities.
The communiqué urged stakeholders to deliberately position indigenes as engineers, seafarers, technicians, fabricators, environmental experts, logistics providers, marine service operators, suppliers and entrepreneurs across maritime and industrial value chains.
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The gathering also advocated the strategic harnessing of Oron’s maritime potentials in alignment with the ARISE Agenda of the state government, while calling for stronger partnerships among the Federal and State Governments, maritime agencies, the Nigerian Navy, investors, financial institutions, development partners, private-sector operators and host communities.
The stakeholders charged the media to sustain professional, factual, developmental and solution-oriented reporting of the maritime sector, particularly in monitoring government policies, investments and project implementation to promote transparency, accountability and public awareness.
Speaking on the significance of the resolutions, Chairman of the occasion, Hon. Moses Essien, said the communiqué had provided a practical roadmap for converting Akwa Ibom’s maritime advantages into tangible economic opportunities.
Essien said the focus should now be on implementation, stressing that the State could derive greater economic value from its coastal resources if government, investors, communities and other stakeholders worked together to develop the necessary infrastructure, human capacity and maritime value chains.
“Akwa Ibom has the resources and the strategic location to play a major role in Nigeria’s blue economy. What is important now is for us to move from policy to practical implementation, create the right institutional framework and ensure that our people and host communities are direct beneficiaries of maritime investments”, he stated.
He added that the proposed Ministry of Blue Economy would provide a dedicated platform for coordinating the sector, promoting investment and ensuring that maritime projects delivered measurable benefits to the people of the state.
The stakeholders recommended the introduction of performance indicators for the maritime sector, including jobs created, businesses established, growth in fisheries production, cargo and passenger traffic, investments attracted, skills acquired, revenue generated and improvements in community welfare.
They reaffirmed that a vibrant maritime sector was indispensable to the sustainable economic transformation of Akwa Ibom, and called for collective action to position the state as a leading blue-economy destination in Nigeria and West Africa.
