The organisers of the 4th Ehingbeti Blue Economy Hub have disclosed that the forum will address weak regulatory frameworks and maritime insecurity as major barriers to investment, coastal development and job creation in Nigeria’s blue economy.
The event, themed “Securing Nigeria’s Blue Economy: Need to Strengthen Regulatory and Maritime Framework for Sustainable Coastal Development,” is to be held next week in Lagos.
Speaking at a pre-event press briefing in Lagos, the convener of the programme, Olaitan Williams, said, “Nigeria could not fully harness the blue economy without deliberately integrating coastal communities into its development framework.”
Williams, who traced Ehingbeti to the indigenous coastal settlement that predates modern Lagos, said the area had historically demonstrated the maritime potential of its people.
Williams, who is also the Founder of the Ocean Ambassadors Foundation, said the benefits of the blue economy would remain limited unless coastal communities, which constitute the foundation of many maritime activities, are included in policy and investment decisions.
