Sir Monday Onyeme, Deputy Governor of Delta State, has announced that the state government is taking strategic steps to establish a dedicated Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy as part of efforts to harness its coastal resources and boost economic growth.
He made this known while speaking with journalists at the Blue Economy Investment Summit 2026, themed “Shifting Gears: Heading to a New Frontier in Maritime Economy,” held at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre on Thursday.
According to Onyeme, Delta State has already put in place key institutional frameworks to drive its blue economy agenda, including the establishment of both a steering committee and a technical committee.
The Deputy Giveenor explained that while the steering committee is responsible for policy direction and strategy refinement, the technical committee handles implementation and identifies priority areas within the blue economy sector.
“We have been able to establish the full blue economy steering committee and the technical committee. The steering committee handles the fine-tuning, while the technical committee is working on the broad stages of implementation,” Onyeme said.
Onyeme affirmed that the state intends to align closely with the Federal Government’s maritime development initiatives, especially following the creation of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
He revealed that Delta is already working towards setting up a corresponding ministry at the state level to maximise opportunities in the sector.
“Delta State intends to work along with the Federal Government. With the creation of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, we are also working towards establishing our own ministry because we have a lot to offer,” he stated.
Onyeme highlighting the state’s natural advantages, emphasised that Delta boasts one of the longest coastlines among Nigeria’s coastal states, positioning it as a key player in maritime and blue economy development.
He added that the government is currently prioritising investment areas, noting that due to funding constraints, not all sectors can be developed simultaneously.
“The blue economy is very wide. We are looking at which aspects to tackle first because we cannot implement everything at the same time due to funding limitations,” he stated.
Moreso, he expressed optimism that the summit would attract investors to the state, thereby accelerating development in the sector.
While he did not give a specific timeline, he assured that the state government is working to ensure tangible results are achieved before the end of the current administration.
“We are hopeful that with investor interest from platforms like this summit, we can move faster. Before the end of this administration, we expect that some aspects of the blue economy will already be operational,” Onyeme added.
Moreover, the summit brought together policymakers, investors, and other stakeholders in the maritime sector to explore new opportunities and strategies for advancing Nigeria’s blue economy.
