Nigeria’s marine and inland waters present economic opportunities spanning fisheries, aquaculture, energy, transport, tourism, biotechnology, and conservation. With an 853km coastline, over 10,000km of inland waterways and a potential blue GDP of $296 billion annually, the marine economy can support inclusive growth, climate resilience, and economicdiversification.
PRESIDENTIAL PARLEY REPORT PRESENTATION SCRIPT THEME: BLUE ECONOMY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA: ISSUES, CHALLENGES, AND OPPORTUNITIES BY SENIOR EXECUTIVE COURSE 47, 2025 NATIONAL INSTITUTE, KURU NOVEMBER 2025
Nigeria loses about ₦33.3 trillion annually to untapped blue economy potential due to the underutilisation of its extensive coastal and inland waters, which function as disparate systems rather than a unified economic engine (Deloitte, 2022). Oceans, seas, and inland waters form the backbone of a marine and blue economy that generated about $2.6 trillion in gross value added in 2020 according to recent Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) assessments.