December 24, (THEWILL) – The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), has said collaboration amongst all organs of government in Nigeria and the Organised Private Sector (OPS), will accelerate harnessing the Blue Economy in Nigeria
Director General of the Agency, Dr Bashir Jamoh, disclosed this while delivering a paper titled: ‘Opportunities and Challenges in Harnessing the Blue Economy’, at a seminar organised by the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA).
The Nigeria Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) is Africa’s foremost foreign policy Think Tank, with the goal of assisting governments and societies in creating a world that is secure and prosperous.
Speaking on the theme ‘Safety, Security and Development in Nigeria’s Maritime Domain: Problems, Strategies and Prospects, Dr Jamoh said NIIA has a critical role to play for Nigeria to fully harness the potentials of the Blue Economy.
“Our task at NIMASA is to explore how Nigeria can maximise the benefits derivable from our Blue Economy. This concept of Blue Economy, which gained prominence some few years ago requires local, regional and international collaboration to manage critical factors.
“The Nigerian Institute of International Affairs should play a role in advising the government on policies which would facilitate the realisation of the Blue Economy.”
“Just as in maritime security, the Deep Blue Project has shown that through cooperation and collaboration, great results can be achieved. This is the reason why I appreciate the participation of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigeria Customs Service, as well as the Nigerian Navy”, he said.
On his part, the Director-general of the NIIA, Prof. Eghosa Osaghae, who acknowledged the progress made in securing the Nigerian Maritime domain and the Gulf of Guinea, highlighted the importance of the Blue Economy globally.
He called for the sustainable use of ocean resources to be considered when shaping government policies.
“When considered in economic terms, the global Blue Economy would be the seventh largest in the world which highlights its importance. As such, sustainable use of the Blue Economy for economic growth should be at the core of any policy formulation by the government”, the NIIA DG said.
About the Author
