WorldStage Newsonline– The participants of the Senior Executive Course (SEC 57) of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Plateau State on Monday began the understudy of the Lagos State Government Blue Economy project.
Speaking during the opening ceremony of the study tour at Ikeja, Mrs Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, the Secretary to the Lagos State Government (SSG), said steps had been taken to harness the potential of the Blue Economy in an inclusive, innovative and sustainable manner.
The theme of the study tour is: “Blue Economy and Sustainable Development in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges and Prospects.”
Salu-Hundeyin said the theme of the tour spoke directly to the heart of Lagos’ development and aspirations as a coastal megacity and Centre of Excellence.
According to her, Lagos is blessed with over 180 kilometers of coastline, vast lagoons, creeks, and a thriving population of over 25 million inhabitants that depend on water-based resources for commerce, mobility, livelihood, and recreation.
“The Blue Economy, therefore, is not an abstract concept for us. It is a living and breathing part of our present and strategic future.
“Under Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s THEMES PLUS Agenda, we have taken bold and practical steps to harness the potential of the Blue Economy in a manner that is inclusive, innovative, and sustainable.
“Some of our key achievements include the Lekki Deep Sea Port, which was inaugurated in 2023. It is West Africa’s most advanced deep-sea port, easing congestion in Apapa, attracting international maritime trade, and positioning Lagos as a logistics hub.
“Through our Lagos State Waterways Authority, we have expanded ferry services, constructed modern jetties, enforced water safety regulations, and strengthened marine emergency response under the State’s Inland Waterway Transportation,” she said.
Salu-Hundeyin said that this had greatly eased transportation system as it had created an alternative route for the people leaving across the water, improved the economy and manpower, and joined families together in a closer unit.
She said the ferry service, popularly called ‘Omi-Eko’ connected more communities daily, thus reducing traffic gridlock and contributing to carbon reduction goals.
Salu-Hundeyin said the government had invested heavily on shoreline defense projects, especially in erosion-prone areas like Lekki and Badagry, to safeguard assets and communities from the effects of climate change.
She said that Gov. Sanwo-Olu’s administration was also supporting Marine and Coastal Tourism Promotion by creating opportunities for local entrepreneurship and cultural experiences.
“This is through partnership with the private sector to boost investments in boat building, maritime logistics, fisheries, and waterfront infrastructure.
“In response to increasing demand for housing development, the state government in partnership with the private sector, created Island Estates from our waterfront to increase real estate and hospitality investment estates such as Orange Island, Gracefield Island, Lekki Foreshore, King Smart City, FBT Coral and Eko Atlantic City.
“Lagos State is committed to Waterway Sanitation and Marine Waste Management, as we constantly clean up our water ways to reduce pollution, and promote environmental sustainability.
“I am also proud to inform you that Lagos State is in the process of developing a formal Blue Economy policy framework that integrates economic growth with environmental stewardship and social inclusion.
“Distinguished participants, as you explore Lagos over the next four days, I encourage you to observe not only our infrastructure and innovations, but also our challenges, particularly in the areas of regulatory harmonisation, intergovernmental collaboration, funding mechanisms, and capacity development.
“These are vital considerations in shaping robust and implementable policy recommendations that can guide national progress,” the SSG said.
Also speaking, the Acting Director of Studies, NIPSS, Mrs Nima Salman-Mann, said the institute, as the foremost think tank of the federation, was assigned by the President to research important issues annually.
Salman-Mann said that going by the theme of blue economy, Lagos was highlighted as a crucial location for the study, due to its status as the Centre of Excellence and pace-setter for the country.
She said 14 participants from various backgrounds has been selected to spend a week, studying the blue economy strategies in Lagos.
According to her, the goal was to provide the Federal Government with content and recommendations on how Nigeria could diversify its revenue beyond oil.
“The blue economy is now the new gold, as it were, that is where countries are now looking into, to be able to expand their revenue base.
“We have been able to go on an African study tour, and some of us have gone on the intercontinental studies tour as well, and we have been able to see what other African countries have been able to do and do right.
“That is why we want to come and study Lagos, see what we can do. See your ports, see the aquamarine. There is a vast amount of knowledge and resources that can be made from the sea,” she said.
