Segun Atanda/
At the United Nations Ocean Conference underway in Nice, France, Nigeria has made a plea to the global community: act fast to ratify the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement and significantly scale up funding for blue economy initiatives—especially in developing nations.
Delivering Nigeria’s statement on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, called for urgent global cooperation to protect the oceans and secure sustainable livelihoods for future generations.
“The ocean is a source of immense wealth and opportunity,” Oyetola said. “But to unlock its full potential sustainably, we need collective commitment, scientific rigor, and bold political will.”
The conference, jointly hosted by France and Costa Rica, brings together over 120 nations under the theme: “Accelerating Action and Mobilising All Actors to Conserve and Sustainably Use the Ocean.”
Nigeria, Oyetola announced, has already signed and begun the ratification process for the BBNJ Agreement—an international treaty aimed at conserving marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction. He emphasized the urgent need to designate 30% of the world’s oceans as Marine Protected Areas by 2030, in line with the treaty’s targets.
Demonstrating regional leadership, Nigeria is also working with fellow West African nations on a proposal to establish a High Seas Marine Protected Area in the Convergence Zone of the Canary and Guinea Currents.
Oyetola used the global stage to call on investors and development partners to boost blue finance and technical support to developing countries. “Ocean-based sectors will only thrive if backed by real funding and knowledge transfer,” he stressed.
On the home front, Nigeria has launched a suite of initiatives to strengthen ocean governance, including:
A National Blue Economy Policy for sustainable industry development.
A roadmap for BBNJ implementation and treaty ratification.
A revised National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan.
A National Policy on Marine Plastic Pollution.
Advanced hydrographic surveys and charting in the Gulf of Guinea.
Oyetola also pledged Nigeria’s resolve to tackle illegal fishing, marine dumping, and other transboundary threats, while calling for improved data collection and ocean monitoring across the region.
The urgency of Nigeria’s call was echoed by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who warned that the oceans are reaching a breaking point due to overfishing, acidification, and the effects of climate change.
Nigeria’s delegation includes top officials from the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), and other key agencies.
For more updates on the UN Ocean Conference and Nigeria’s blue economy initiatives, stay with [
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