The Minister of Marine and Blue, Adegboyega Oyetola, has said that the Federal Government was determined to revolutionise the marine sector through the National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy.

The Minister disclosed at the on-going two-day Technical Validation Workshop on the development of the National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy, which is holding in Lagos, where he noted that the crafted policy would comprehensively tackle all challenges and unlock the potentials that abound in the sector.

According to a statement signed yesterday by Head (Press & PR), Muhammad Tahir Zakari, the Minister described the draft policy as a nine-part document.

Oyetola, while assuring the people that the document presents an elaborate overview of the marine and blue economic endowments of Nigeria and its current state, said: “It affirms our mandate, vision and mission which set the stage for the objectives of the policy and its aspirations.”

He added: “The policy document further dissects these aspirations into fivebroad parts of legal and institutional framework; maritime transport, trade and shipping; fisheries and aquaculture, marine abiotic resources; and marine innovation and technology.

“It also identifies an array of cross-cutting issues and then concludes with a scan of stakeholders to support the implementation structure. It is comprehensive.”

Oyetola noted that Nigeria had achieved notable progress in maritime governance, including the ratification and domestication of international protocols and conventions, even as he stressed that the validation workshop would be a milestone effort in elevating Nigeria’s marine and blue economy.

“The Federal Ministry of Marine & Blue Economy has painstakingly developed strategies to guide the sustainable use of our marine resources.”