Mr Williams Akanbi, the Director, International Ocean Institute (IOI), says that sea blindness is a major challenge affecting Nigeria’s ability to fully explore its maritime tourism.
Akanbi said this in Lagos on Tuesday while speaking at the 4th edition of the Maritime Writes Project (MWP) bootcamp which had the theme, “Protecting Heritages in the Blue Economy”.
Sea blindness is defined as an inability to appreciate the importance of seas and naval power, particularly with regards to strategic security and economic prosperity.
A country with sea blindness is not aware of maritime supremacy as an important foreign policy tool.
Akanbi said further that maritime security and cultural attitudes are also factors hindering Nigeria from exploiting its potential in maritime tourism.
Akanbi said: “Nigeria ranks among the lowest nations on maritime tourism.
“In spite of Nigeria’s more than 850 kilometres coastline, the nation ranks among the lowest on the marine tourism index, and also features among the bottom three countries.
“Nigerians don’t know enough about the sector, to explore and exploit its potential.
“I wish to encourage the MWP 2024 participants to write stories around maritime tourism and deep sea exploration to correct the anomaly.”
The IOI director said that at the institute, a curriculum had been developed for ocean literacy to address the problem of sea blindness.
He said that in this curriculum, coastal areas and organisms would be studied as well as the deep sea.
“It is unfortunate that Nigeria isn’t exploiting its potentials in tourism. The nation has some problems which affect its ability to fully explore marine tourism.
”These include maritime security and cultural attitudes. If an environment isn’t secured, if it’s not clean and habitable; there will be no attraction for tourists,” he said.
Akanbi, however, expressed optimism that with the creation of the Marine and Blue Economy Ministry in Nigeria, maritime tourism would be a huge component.
”The ministry will help in the development of this aspect in conjunction with the security agencies.
“If Nigerians know about the maritime sector from elementary and primary school levels that will better position the nation to harness the multiple opportunities in the sector.
“Most of the 2024 participants are young minds and they have an opportunity to get the correct information about maritime which can help them decide to have a future in the industry,” he said.
Similarly, Mrs Funmi Shelika, the President, African Women Fish Processors and Traders Network (AWFISHNET), Nigerian Chapter, described the MWP 2024 as a laudable event.
”It opens the minds of participants to understand the diverse aspects of the blue economy.
“Participants will learn so much to help them conceptualise stories that will further promote awareness of the blue economy.
”The historical stories of the maritime industry and how it affects our daily activities will be explained by experts in this bootcamp,” she said.
Shelika asserted that there was a future in fish processing, adding that, “it isn’t just a smelly woman selling fish at the market.
”The business is more than just catching fish, smoking and selling it. There are other aspects of the trade for participants to explore,” she said.
She decried a decline in fishes across several Nigerian riverine communities resulting from pollution and overfishing.
She encouraged the Nigerian Government to do more to support artisanal fishers and grow small-scale fishing.
“Nigeria isn’t enacting policies and laws for people in coastal communities to enjoy the aquatic assets in their communities.
”There should be an agreement between the International Oil Companies (IOCs) and the communities to preserve the aquatic life and the marine environment,” she said.
Earlier, the Head of Faculty and Director, Business Education Services and Training, LCCI, Dr Taiwo Nolas-Alausa, noted that several participants in previous MWP bootcamps had been able to publish books.
He also said that they had also won international essay competitions after the learning experience.
Nolas-Alausa, therefore, admonished the participants to fully explore the training to improve themselves as writers.
He also encouraged them to network and open their minds to possible maritime career opportunities and businesses.
