{"id":834260,"date":"2025-03-15T13:12:02","date_gmt":"2025-03-15T18:12:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/15\/academy-launches-initiative-to-end-nigerias-sea-blindness\/"},"modified":"2025-03-15T13:12:02","modified_gmt":"2025-03-15T18:12:02","slug":"academy-launches-initiative-to-end-nigerias-sea-blindness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/15\/academy-launches-initiative-to-end-nigerias-sea-blindness\/","title":{"rendered":"Academy launches initiative to end Nigeria\u2019s \u201csea blindness\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Maritime <\/p>\n

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February 19, 2025 by
\n Ekaete Bassey<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\n \"IMG-20250216-WA0017\" <\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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The Blue Economy Academy (BEA) has unveiled a strategic initiative to transform Nigeria\u2019s maritime industry by addressing \u201csea blindness\u201d\u2014the country\u2019s long-standing neglect of its ocean-driven economic potential.<\/p>\n

At a media luncheon in Lagos, BEA\u2019s Founder, Ubong Essien, a former Special Adviser on Strategy and Communications to the immediate past Director-General of NIMASA, introduced the organisation\u2019s core vision: \u201cProsper by Water.\u201d<\/p>\n

Essien highlighted the Academy\u2019s mission to harness education, policy advocacy, and strategic collaboration to unlock Nigeria\u2019s vast blue economy opportunities.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He noted that despite the country\u2019s extensive coastline and rich marine resources, the maritime sector remains largely underutilized.<\/p>\n

To drive this transformation, Essien outlined a four-pronged approach structured around \u201cThe Ten Blue Economy Buckets\u201d\u2014a comprehensive framework aimed at guiding Nigeria\u2019s maritime growth and economic expansion.<\/p>\n

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\u201cBlue Commerce\u201d he said, focuses on enhancing maritime trade and logistics, ensuring seamless movement of goods and services through Nigeria\u2019s waterways. \u201cBlue Bounty\u201d, aims to expand fisheries and aquaculture, tapping into the country\u2019s rich marine biodiversity for food security and economic gain.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cBlue Power\u201d, explores renewable ocean energy solutions, positioning marine-based energy as a sustainable alternative for the future.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAdditionally, \u201cBlue Cities\u201d emphasises the development of sustainable waterfront communities, transforming coastal areas into hubs of economic and social activity.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cBlue Governance\u201d seeks to strengthen maritime policies and regulatory frameworks, ensuring that Nigeria\u2019s maritime sector operates with clear guidelines and oversight.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cBlue Nexus\u201d promotes integration among ocean-based industries, fostering interconnected growth across sectors such as shipping, tourism, and fisheries.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIn response to environmental challenges, \u201cBlue Climate\u201d addresses the impact of climate change on marine ecosystems, advocating for sustainable practices that protect the nation\u2019s coastal and oceanic resources.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cBlue Talent\u201d focuses on cultivating human capital for maritime careers, providing training and skill development to create a highly competent workforce.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cLastly, \u201cBlue Venture\u201d encourages entrepreneurship and investment in the maritime industry, fostering innovation and private-sector participation in Nigeria\u2019s blue economy,\u201d the Academy\u2019s founder explained. <\/p>\n

Meanwhile, one of the most thought-provoking moments in Essien\u2019s speech was his discussion on how Nigeria needs to rethink real estate, viewing water as a valuable economic asset.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He compared maritime infrastructure to the real estate of telecom giants like MTN, whose true assets lie in the airwaves they control.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWater itself is the next big real estate,\u201d he asserted.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cJust as telecom companies thrive on their spectrum licenses, Nigeria must see its maritime domain as an economic frontier ripe for development.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Essien reiterated that Nigeria\u2019s blue economy could generate massive economic opportunities if properly harnessed.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He pointed to global trends where coastal infrastructure such as waterfront developments, ports, and eco-friendly cities drive economic activity.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Citing Landmark Beach\u2019s ongoing challenges with coastal encroachment and the shift of investments to inland waterfront projects like Nike Lake Resort in Enugu, he argued that Nigeria must be proactive in leveraging its coastal resources.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Drawing from his experience at the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Essien underscored the importance of partnerships in achieving maritime sector transformation.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can never get anything meaningfully done in this industry without collaboration,\u201d he noted.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can never succeed at any major quest without collaboration, no matter how powerful your position is. Even if people look up to you to enjoy certain benefits, no position is powerful enough to achieve major things without collaboration\u201d Essien added.<\/p>\n

He further called on industry leaders, academia, and policymakers to join forces in shaping Nigeria\u2019s blue economy agenda.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He also encouraged media professionals to play an active role in amplifying maritime conversations, ensuring that the sector receives sustained attention.\u00a0\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Maritime February 19, 2025 by Ekaete Bassey The Blue Economy Academy (BEA) has unveiled a strategic initiative to transform Nigeria\u2019s maritime industry by addressing \u201csea blindness\u201d\u2014the country\u2019s long-standing neglect of its ocean-driven economic potential. At a media luncheon in Lagos, BEA\u2019s Founder, Ubong Essien, a former Special Adviser on Strategy and Communications to the immediate<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":834261,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4627,2432],"tags":[12693,7812],"class_list":{"0":"post-834260","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-academy","8":"category-launches","9":"tag-academy","10":"tag-launches"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/834260","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=834260"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/834260\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/834261"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=834260"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=834260"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=834260"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}