Dangote Backs Blue Economy to Create 500,000 Jobs in Nigeria

Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Industries Limited, has urged Nigeria to treat the marine and blue economy as a major investment frontier capable of creating jobs, reducing imports and strengthening the country’s export potential.

Dangote said Nigeria could create more than 500,000 jobs through strategic investment in aquaculture, hatcheries, fish feed production, processing, cold-chain logistics and export infrastructure. He said the country could also reduce its dependence on fish imports, conserve foreign exchange and position itself as a serious player in the global fisheries market.

He made the call in Lagos during the Second Quarter 2026 Citizens’ and Stakeholders’ Engagement organised by the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.

The event, themed “From Policy to Action: Mobilising Sub-National Governments for Effective Implementation of Nigeria’s National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy”, brought together public officials, diplomats, development partners, business leaders, academics and representatives of state governments.

Dangote, who was represented by the Managing Director of Dangote Port Operations, Simeon Omole, delivered a paper titled “Driving Private Sector Investment and Industrialisation in Nigeria’s Marine and Blue Economy: Opportunities for Sustainable Economic Growth.”

He said Nigeria must stop seeing fisheries only as a food security issue and start treating the sector as a major industrial and investment opportunity.

According to him, strong private sector participation, supported by the right government policies, can help Nigeria build a more productive fisheries value chain. He said investment across aquaculture, hatcheries, feed mills, logistics, processing and export infrastructure would help the country meet local demand and compete internationally.

Dangote said the successful implementation of Nigeria’s National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy would depend on sustained private sector participation and strong collaboration between government and investors.

He noted that the policy targets the creation of three million jobs within its first four years. It also seeks to deliver annual sectoral growth of seven per cent and reserve at least 50 per cent of new jobs for young Nigerians between the ages of 18 and 35.

He said Nigeria needs policy stability, quality infrastructure, access to finance and investor confidence to unlock the full value of the blue economy.

Dangote identified three major pillars that could drive growth in the sector: infrastructure-led industrialisation, value-chain development and stronger public-private partnerships.

He said the Federal Government’s approval of major deep seaport projects across the country could support the growth of industrial clusters linked to agro-processing, petrochemicals, shipbuilding, cold-chain logistics and maritime technology.

According to him, these projects could improve Nigeria’s competitiveness and make the country more attractive to long-term investors.

Dangote also pointed to the fisheries value chain as one of the biggest opportunities within the blue economy. He said Nigeria still imports fish worth nearly $1 billion every year despite rising local production. This, he explained, shows that the country has a major supply gap that investors can help close.

He said public-private partnerships should go beyond funding. Instead, he argued that they should become strategic collaborations involving government, investors, researchers and coastal communities.

Dangote said coastal industrial clusters supported by modern ports, Special Economic Zones and digital infrastructure would help Nigeria accelerate industrialisation and attract more investment.

Speaking earlier, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, called for stronger cooperation among the Federal Government, state governments, private investors and development partners.

Oyetola said Nigeria had moved past the stage of policy drafting and must now focus on implementation that can deliver real economic results.

He said the National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy had given the country a clear framework for harnessing its oceans, inland waterways, fisheries and coastal resources. However, he stressed that the policy would only succeed if all levels of government worked together.

The minister said many of Nigeria’s blue economy assets are located in states and local communities. For that reason, he said sub-national governments must play a central role in attracting investment, creating jobs, improving food security and protecting the environment.

Oyetola added that reforms under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda had improved stakeholder engagement, attracted investment, strengthened maritime safety and increased the competitiveness of Nigeria’s ports.

He said ongoing port modernisation projects and plans to develop new deep seaports in Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Lagos and Ondo would help Nigeria strengthen its position as a major maritime hub in West Africa.

The minister also said better port operations had contributed to Nigeria’s consistent trade surplus since 2024.

On inland waterway safety, Oyetola said the ministry had intensified collaboration with relevant agencies and state governments. He said the ministry had distributed life jackets across the country and encouraged states to replace unsafe wooden passenger boats with modern fibre boats.

He also urged coastal states to align their development plans with the national blue economy policy. He said states should encourage private investment in fisheries, aquaculture, maritime transport, tourism, shipbuilding, renewable energy and marine biotechnology.

He said the state had started major fish production at the Bayelsa Aquaculture Village in Yenegwe, where an operational hatchery is already breeding quality catfish fingerlings and juveniles to support food security and create jobs.

The governor added that Bayelsa had expanded its marine transport fleet and was working aggressively to develop the proposed Agge Deep Seaport as the next major maritime gateway for the Niger Delta.

Diri also proposed key steps coastal states can take to benefit from the blue economy. These include creating dedicated ministries for marine and blue economy affairs, passing enabling laws, properly mapping and securing maritime areas, and investing in credible data collection and analysis.

The discussions at the engagement showed growing interest in Nigeria’s blue economy as a source of jobs, exports, industrial growth and economic diversification.

For Dangote and other stakeholders, the message was clear: Nigeria’s oceans, ports, waterways and fisheries can do more than support transportation and food supply. With the right investment, policy discipline and private sector leadership, they can become major engines of national growth.