The Chairman, Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions and Senator representing Edo South Senatorial District, Senator Neda Imasuen, has called on governments of littoral states in Africa to show considerable interest in harnessing and developing the blue economy potential in their domains.
Senator Imasuen made the call when a delegation of the Africa Blue Economy Roundtable (ABER), led by its Founder and Convener, Dr. Piriye Kiyaramo, visited him in his office at the Nigerian Senate.
The Senator assured the delegation of his commitment to champion blue economy discourse at the Senate with a view to facilitating engagement with relevant Senate Committees including Marine Transport, Local Content, Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, NDDC, Science & Technology and Environment, among others. He also accepted to serve as a Patron of ABER.
He noted that with proper planning, the pristine beaches of the Niger Delta could be developed to attract luxury beachfront hotels and other coastal and marine tourism facilities, as is obtainable in America and other Western cities. He commended the Convener and Founder of ABER for the thoughtful initiative and pledged his commitment to Africa’s blue economy advancement.
The Senator also commended the Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, for his passion for the blue economy, noting that he was the first governor to create a Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy. He called on other littoral states to emulate Governor Diri’s efforts towards developing the blue economy in their respective states.
He further observed that Nigeria’s 853km coastline, with Edo State’s proximity to the Atlantic through its riverine corridor, holds immense opportunities for jobs, food security and climate resilience that remain largely untapped. According to him, littoral states must move beyond oil and deliberately invest in sustainable fisheries, aquaculture, marine transport, blue tourism and mangrove blue carbon.
Commending ABER for its Pan-African push for a Connected, Competitive and Community-Owned Blue Economy, the Senator said the National Assembly is open to legislative frameworks that protect artisanal fishers, enforce the 5-nautical-mile Artisanal Exclusive Zone and ensure women processors own cold chain infrastructure.
Earlier, Dr. Kiyaramo introduced ABER as a flagship initiative of BRACED Tourism Promotion & Development Initiative with presence in the five regions of the African Union plus the Diaspora, with offices in New Jersey and California, USA, and a Liaison Bureau in Abuja.
He decried the Blue Justice Gap in the Gulf of Guinea, noting that over 70% of artisanal fishers go to sea without safety gear. He lamented that West Africa loses $2.3 billion annually to Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, and that over 90% of fisherfolk lack access to legal aid or reporting channels.
Also speaking, the Director of Policy and Advocacy in ABER Women’s Forum, Dr. Mrs. Ezeadili Appolonia Obiageri, and the Director of Communication & Public Affairs, Hajiya Medina Dauda Nadabo, commended Senator Imasuen for his brilliance, towering profile and performance in the National Assembly.
