- Nigeria’s blue economy worth $196bn
- Ocean science in curricula to unlock jobs, justice
Africa’s 38 coastal and island states sit on the world’s largest economic frontier, the ocean, worth more than $2.5 trillion, a report by experts on the blue economy has revealed.
According to the World Bank group, Africa’s blue economy currently generates nearly $300 billion annually, supporting 49 million jobs. The African Union projects that this value could exceed $400 billion by 2030 and reach up to $1.5 trillion by 2050, driven by sectors like fisheries, marine transport, coastal tourism, and sustainable blue energy.
The continent’s vast aquatic assets include 38 coastal and island states, over 30,000 kilometers of coastline, and 677 lakes. With more than 38 percent of the population living within 100 kilometers of the coast, tapping into this potential is vital for food security, climate resilience, and economic diversification.
Nigeria has a blue economy potential worth more than $196 billion, according to a recent media exposé. All this is yet untapped, unexplored, and unearned.
Dakuku Pererside, former director-general and chief executive officer of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), said, during his era of headship, the agency was able to draft a position document on how the country can formulate a policy to unlock its vast blue economy potential.
However, he doubted if anything more had been done to etch up the ante.
According to Piriye Kiyaramo, who convened a roundtable on blue economy, most African scholars and students graduate without ever learning how the ocean economy works.
Kiyaramo urged policymakers across the 38 African coastal and island states, more so, Nigeria, to integrate ocean science under ‘blue education’ into their school curricula to drive sustainable growth, secure coastal livelihoods, and promote environmental stewardship.
“Blue Education in this context means the deliberate integration of Ocean Science into Africa’s 38 coastal states’ school curricula, which is the fastest way to turn the coastline into prosperity, resilience, and equity,” Kiyaramo said while fielding questions from some journalists at the weekend, shortly after presenting a paper on “The Imperative of Blue Education,” at the Warri Blue Economy Summit.
The summit had the theme: “Harnessing Our Blue Wealth for Sustainable Growth and Shared Prosperity”.
“If the Niger Delta is to transition from oil dependence to ocean prosperity, we must start not at the ports, but in our classrooms,” Kiyaramo said.
He cited Kenya, Seychelles, and the Philippines, where he noted that ocean literacy has already produced youth-led seaweed farms and marine SMEs.
“Blue Education directly addresses youth unemployment by preparing students for emerging sectors,” he said.
The earth has 71 percent of it covered by the ocean. Hence, blue economy experts opine there are three core imperatives: survival literacy: the ocean regulates climate, produces over 50 percent of global oxygen, feeds more than 3 billion people, and absorbs 30 percent of CO₂.
For African students, Kiyaramo said, knowledge of tides, mangroves, and plastic pollution is critical to managing floods, fishery decline, and public health risks.
Jobs and wealth literacy: the global blue economy exceeds USD $2.5 trillion. Africa’s maritime and coastal sectors employ millions in fishing, shipping, ports, boat building, tourism, and offshore energy. Integrating ocean science into the school curriculum will build a pipeline of marine engineers, aquaculture technicians, ocean data analysts, and port managers.
Citizenship and justice literacy: oil spills, illegal fishing, and coastal erosion are governance issues. Students grounded in ocean science can interpret environmental impact assessments (EIAs), demand accountability, and participate in decision-making, in line with SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.
Kiyaramo serves as special assistant on blue economy to the managing director/CEO of the Niger Delta Basin Development Authority (NDBDA) and former senior special assistant on tourism to Bayelsa State. He lamented that SDG 14: Life Below Water remains the least funded of the SDGs in Nigeria.
“Schools are the fastest and most cost-effective channel to close that gap,” he stated.
The chief host, Ogiame Atuwatse III, the Olu of Warri, said: “A new frontier brings excitement and promise. It redefines a region’s potential and can transform the status quo. I welcome every advantage this frontier offers our people and nation. I am custodian of a people and a culture, and custodian of their environment. While we want our lives transformed by the Blue Economy, our environment must not pay the price.
“Our vision extends beyond conservation. It is about building a Green Economy that works with the Blue Economy and the Orange Economy — one that benefits our people now and for generations to come. By investing in our mangrove forests, we protect ecosystems, create livelihoods, and build resilience across the Niger Delta. Now is our moment to lead and show the world that unity of purpose delivers growth that uplifts both people and [the] environment.”
Ebiyemi Ojijala Omatseye, executive chairman of Warri Blue Economy Development Initiative, described the summit as a call to action.
“This is more than a gathering of stakeholders. It is a platform to chart a sustainable path to prosperity through the Blue Economy,” she said. She paid tribute to Ogiame Atuwatse III, whose leadership has positioned Warri as a hub for growth and innovation.
Ojijala said the summit seeks practical solutions to transform waterways into engines of growth, create youth employment, attract responsible investment, protect the environment, and ensure communities benefit directly.
“The answer lies in partnership. Government, the private sector, traditional institutions, development partners, and communities must work together.
She said Warri is endowed with vast waterways and a proud maritime heritage, possessing a natural pathway to prosperity. Yet unemployment, environmental degradation, and poor infrastructure demand urgent action. I urge our youths and women to see themselves as leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs in the blue economy.
The summit resolved that blue education will produce graduates with “Blue Minds” – students who see the sea as opportunity, not waste. “If we teach Mathematics for the economy and Civic Education for democracy, we must teach Ocean Science for survival”.
It called on school boards and ministries of education across Nigeria to integrate blue education into the curriculum to transition students from classroom to coastline.
