Blue economy can create millions of jobs – Sani

Nathan Tamarapreye, Yenagoa

The Chairman of Wonderland Television, Abuja, Alhaji Ismail Sani, has called for a nationwide awareness campaign on Nigeria’s Blue Economy, saying the sector could generate millions of jobs if properly harnessed.

Sani said developing the sector would boost coastal economies, strengthen food security, improve livelihoods and promote environmental sustainability.

He made the call in Abuja while accepting his appointment as the first Patron of the Africa Blue Economy Roundtable (ABER).

He pledged to engage the Minister of Information and National Orientation to secure Federal Government support for a nationwide campaign to educate Nigerians about the sector’s economic potential.

“There is an urgent need to sensitise Nigerians about the Blue Economy. I will personally put the Honourable Minister of Information on notice about the Africa Blue Economy Roundtable and the imperative to enlighten Nigerians on the massive job creation opportunities the Blue Economy brings,” he said.

Sani described the appointment as particularly significant, revealing that it was the first he had accepted in his 37 years in the media industry.

He pledged the support of Wonderland Media Group towards advancing ABER’s objectives and promoting public understanding of the sector.

Earlier, ABER’s founder and convener, Dr Piriye Kiyaramo, described Sani’s appointment as a strategic move to strengthen the organisation’s public awareness and investment drive.

He said Sani’s experience in the media and hospitality industries would help bring greater visibility to Africa’s Blue Economy, which he valued at more than $300bn but described as one of the continent’s least understood economic sectors.

“What is not seen is not valued, and what is not told is not invested in. That is why the media is central to ABER’s mandate. The media can turn policy into public consciousness, science into story, and opportunity into investment,” Kiyaramo said.

He identified fisheries and aquaculture, maritime transport, shipbuilding, marine biotechnology, blue tourism and blue finance as major areas capable of generating employment and attracting investment.

Kiyaramo said sustainable development of marine and inland water resources could increase household incomes, expand entrepreneurship and improve food security, particularly in coastal communities.

However, he warned that these opportunities could only be realised through effective ocean governance, responsible investment and environmental protection.

He called for urgent action against illegal and unsustainable fishing, marine pollution and coastal degradation, stressing that local communities must participate in decisions affecting their livelihoods.

He also advocated climate-smart investments aligned with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and Africa’s Blue Economy Strategy.

Under the appointment, Sani will serve as ABER’s Senior Adviser, Goodwill Ambassador and Institutional Champion. His responsibilities include providing strategic guidance, facilitating partnerships, mobilising resources and supporting the organisation’s flagship events.

Wonderland Television will also become ABER’s official media partner, providing coverage for its programmes and supporting its participation in continental and international investment engagements.

ABER is an intercontinental multi-stakeholder platform with liaison bureaus in New Jersey, United States; Douala, Cameroon; and Port Harcourt and Abuja, Nigeria.

Its activities cover fisheries, maritime security, marine conservation, blue tourism, blue finance, innovation, and the inclusion of women and young people in the development of Africa’s maritime resources.