Nigeria advances blue economy, digital trade and regional integration

Nigeria’s Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr Adegboyega Oyetola, called for stronger cooperation between federal, state and private actors to move the National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy from formulation to implementation. He highlighted recent port improvements – Tin Can Island Port ranked 10th and Lagos Port 12th globally in the 2025 Container Port Performance Index – and announced plans for new deep‑sea ports in Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Lagos and Ondo. Oyetola also urged West and Central African maritime administrations to strengthen Port State Control under the Abuja MoU, linking maritime safety to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Industry, Trade and Investment Minister Jumoke Oduwole urged rapid AfCFTA implementation, stressing that the agreement must generate jobs, digital commerce and shared prosperity for Africa’s 1.4 billion people. She highlighted the need for interoperable payment systems, digital public infrastructure and an adjustment fund for SMEs, women‑led firms and youth.

President Bola Tinubu used the commissioning of the new ECOWAS headquarters in Abuja to call for a shift from a regional market to a production‑driven economy, citing industrialisation, value‑chain development and digital trade as priorities. He announced Nigeria’s role as an AfCFTA Digital Trade Champion, citing the National Single Window and the Customs Service’s B’Odogwu platform as tools to streamline cross‑border trade.

Together, the officials framed Nigeria’s push as a coordinated effort to boost maritime safety, harness blue‑economy assets, accelerate digital trade worth an estimated $180 billion, and deepen West African economic integration through ECOWAS.