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Lagos, Nigeria – Nigeria’s maritime and tourism future is in its lagoons, beaches, mangroves, wetlands, islands, waterways, fishing communities and rich coastal cultures. Yet, for a country blessed with such extensive natural assets, the economic potential of coastal and eco-tourism remains significantly underdeveloped.
This was the submission of maritime and coastal tourism advocate, Dr. Chizoba Anyika, while speaking as a panelist at the Lagos International Maritime Week 2026 on the theme: “From Policy to Practice – Role of Women in Eco-Tourism.”
According to Dr. Anyika, Nigeria must move beyond policies to deliberately position women as architects, investors, operators and custodians of the blue economy.
“Women must no longer be viewed merely as beneficiaries of tourism development. They must be recognised as architects, investors, operators, policymakers and custodians of the tourism value chain,” she said.
Dr. Anyika defined eco-tourism as: Tourism + Conservation + Community + Economic Value.
She noted that eco-tourism is not simply taking people to beautiful places, but tourism that protects natural and cultural resources, benefits host communities, creates decent livelihoods, and generates sustainable economic value.
She observed that women who possess indigenous knowledge, culinary skills, cultural heritage, craft skills and entrepreneurial abilities often operate informally without adequate financing, infrastructure, training, technology or market access.
“The challenge is not a shortage of resources. It is the absence of an integrated ecosystem that converts those resources into sustainable opportunity,” she stated.
Dr. Anyika who is the Secretary General of the Africa Blue Economy Roundtable Women’s Forum, proposed a clear pathway from policy to impact: Policy to Institutions to Investment to Infrastructure to People, and Enterprise to Impact.
She argued that a properly developed coastal tourism destination can create opportunities for women across hospitality, catering, transportation, tour operations, cultural entertainment, handicrafts, conservation, photography, digital marketing, event management and destination services.
“One of the strongest arguments is that tourism development must go beyond building hotels. A destination requires an ecosystem – safe waterways, functional jetties, reliable transportation, waste management, security, environmental protection, trained guides, and effective destination marketing,” she said.
Citing the Lagos Lagoon corridor including Tarkwa Bay, Ilashe and surrounding coastal communities, Dr. Anyika said with appropriate planning and community participation, such areas can become engines of tourism, enterprise and employment.
She stressed that host communities must not be displaced by tourism, but must participate in and benefit from it, adding that conservation cannot be separated from commerce.
“We must earn from nature without destroying the nature from which we earn,” she said.
She called for deliberate action by governments to integrate women into tourism and blue-economy planning, financial institutions to create accessible financing for women-led enterprises, training institutions to develop relevant skills, and private investors to see coastal tourism as a viable economic sector.
“Above all, women must be given a seat at the table where decisions about the blue economy are made,” she concluded.
