Governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri, has advocated for Nigeria’s coastal states to maximise their aquatic potentials to contribute to the growth of the country’s marine and blue economy.
Governor Diri also contended that the country’s maritime domain holds enormous potential to boost its economic growth.
The governor stated this on Thursday in a keynote address with the theme: “Sub-National Leadership in Advancing Nigeria’s Maritime and Blue Economy: The Bayelsa Experience and Pathways for Coastal State Development” during the 2nd Quarter 2026 Citizens/Stakeholders’ Engagement organised by the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Governor Diri asserted that of Nigeria’s more than 850km coastline, it is the states that have the waterways and that they must move from being spectators to stakeholders.
He proposed five pathways for coastal states to collaborate for not only their collective progress and that of their communities, but also Nigeria’s.
He said there is the need for these states to institutionalise and create focal ministries or agencies and give them political and financial authority.
Also, Governor Diri urged them to enact blue economy laws that align with the national policy and which reflect their unique geography and people.
According to him, such sub-nationals should secure and map out their domain as well as invest in coastal security and credible ocean data.
Governor Diri, who further stated that the sub-nationals should establish maritime skills hubs, modernise fish processing and build cold storage, proposed that coastal producers be connected to national and global value chains.
The Bayelsa State governor who became the first governor in Nigeria to create a full-fledged Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy in the country in 2024, explained that the move was inspired by the federal government’s creation of a similar ministry in 2023, by President Bola Tinubu.
He said: “To ignore the Blue Economy in Bayelsa would be to ignore Bayelsa itself. That is why, following the initiative of the federal government, Bayelsa is not merely a state with a bespoke ministry, we are a national model for how to institutionalise and mainstream the blue economy at the sub-national level.”
On achievements in the sector, he said one of the state’s flagship priorities is the Agge Deep Seaport, which he noted was not merely a port but a gateway vision for regional trade, logistics, industrial development, fisheries exports, and wider integration within the Gulf of Guinea.
Consequently, he said his administration appointed a transaction adviser and that work had advanced to the inception report stage.
Governor Diri expressed appreciation to the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and other relevant federal institutions as it looks forward to a continued collaboration to move the Agge seaport from vision to bankable reality.
He also stated that Bayelsa State has made modest progress in the sector following the creation of the ministry, as the state has moved from natural endowment to institutional recognition; from consultation to policy formulation; and from validation to implementation.
“We are currently finalising the Bayelsa State Blue Economy Law. This legislation will provide certainty for investment, protect our ecosystems, and enshrine the rights of coastal communities. Investors do not gamble where the law is silent.”
On opportunities and investments in the sector, Governor Diri said his administration has begun to translate the vision into practical action.
In the area of fisheries and aquaculture, he noted that the state government has commenced the operationalisation of the Bayelsa Aquaculture Village at Yenegwe, which is a 127-hectare facility designed as a major production, training, and enterprise hub.
Read also:
- Group Honours 30 Africa Blue Economy Heroines, Says Women Are Driving Maritime Growth
- Group calls for decentralisation of solid minerals sector, pushes Blue Economy Ministry reform in Akwa Ibom
- FG pushes Nigeria’s blue economy agenda at summit in Kenya
According to him, the village has a hatchery capable of producing over three million fingerlings per cycle; 500 grow-out ponds, each measuring 20 metres by 50 metres; and a feed mill with capacity to produce up to 20 tonnes of fish feed per day.
Declaring the event open, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, said the successful implementation of the blue economy policy last year marked an important milestone in the sector.
Oyetola noted that it provided Nigeria with a coherent, strategic framework for unlocking opportunities that abound within the country’s ocean space, inland waterways and coastal resources.
He stressed that effective implementation of the national policy in the sector cannot rest solely on the federal government, adding that the states, the private sector and development partners were critical in realising President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for the sector and the country.
