Maritime Reporters Make Advocacy For Akwa Ibom Ministry Of Marine, Blue Economy

By Helen Udofa
UYO
The Energy and Maritime Reporters of Nigeria (EMR), Akwa Ibom State Branch, has made an advocacy to the governor of Akwa Ibom for the creation of a Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
This is expected as part of efforts to position the state as a leading maritime investment destination in Nigeria, even as the ministry would provide the institutional framework needed to harness the enormous economic opportunities embedded in the blue economy, including fisheries, aquaculture, coastal tourism, maritime transport, shipbuilding, port services and marine logistics.
The association made the advocacy in a statement signed by the State chairman, Mr. Harrison Ndifreke and secretary, Comrade Mabel Ekanem, noted that Akwa Ibom possesses one of Nigeria’s longest coastlines and is home to the proposed Ibom Deep Seaport, making it imperative for the state to establish a dedicated ministry to coordinate policies and investments in the sector.
   This became necessary following Governor Umo Eno’s reaffirmation that the marine and blue economy remains a strategic pillar of the ARISE Agenda and a key vehicle for economic diversification and wealth creation during the 2026 Second Quarter Stakeholders’ Engagement on the Implementation of the National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy held in Lagos.
    The EMR maintained that if the sector is truly strategic to the ARISE Agenda, the next logical step should be the establishment of a dedicated Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy to coordinate maritime policies, strengthen institutional capacity, facilitate investment and ensure the effective implementation of development programmes across the state.
  It stated that a Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy would serve as a catalyst for economic diversification, attract local and foreign investment, create employment opportunities for young people, boost revenue generation and strengthen the sustainable management of the state’s marine resources.
The association argued that the ministry would also position Akwa Ibom among leading coastal states taking advantage of Nigeria’s expanding blue economy and the Federal Government’s ongoing reforms in the maritime sector.
  In essence, the EMR posited that the ministry would complement the Ibom Deep Seaport project, stimulate industrial growth, enhance coastal infrastructure and place Akwa Ibom at the forefront of Nigeria’s marine and blue economy revolution, and pledged its commitment to supporting government initiatives aimed at advancing the maritime sector and pledged to continue advocating policies that will promote sustainable development and economic prosperity in Akwa Ibom.