By Isabella Okon
The Chairman of the 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 demonstrate greater commitment to harnessing and developing the blue economy potential within their territories.
In a statement issued to journalists in Calabar by the Founder and Convener of the Africa Blue Economy Roundtable (ABER), Dr. Piriye Kiyaramo, Senator Imasuen made the call on Tuesday when a delegation of ABER, led by Dr. Kiyaramo, paid him a visit at his office in the Nigerian Senate.
According to the statement, the Senator assured the delegation of his commitment to championing the 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 and Technology, and Environment, among others.
He also accepted to serve as a Patron of ABER.
Senator Imasuen 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, similar to those found in America and other Western countries.
He commended the Founder and Convener of ABER for the initiative and pledged his commitment to advancing Africa’s blue economy.
The Senator also praised the Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, for his commitment to the blue economy, noting that he was the first governor to establish a Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.Access Services
He urged other littoral states to emulate Governor Diri’s efforts towards developing the sector in their respective states.
He further observed that Nigeria’s 853-kilometre coastline, alongside Edo State’s access to the Atlantic Ocean through its riverine corridor, offers enormous opportunities for job creation, food security and climate resilience that remain largely untapped.Buy Maps
According to him, littoral states must move beyond dependence on oil and deliberately invest in sustainable fisheries, aquaculture, marine transportation, blue tourism and mangrove blue carbon initiatives.
Commending ABER for its pan-African drive towards building a connected, competitive and community-owned blue economy, the Senator said the National Assembly was open to developing legislative frameworks to protect artisanal fishers, enforce the five-nautical-mile Artisanal Exclusive Zone and ensure that women processors have ownership of cold-chain infrastructure.
Earlier, Dr. Kiyaramo introduced ABER as a flagship initiative of the BRACED Tourism Promotion and Development Initiative, with a presence across the five regions of the African Union and the African diaspora.
He disclosed that the organisation has offices in New Jersey and California in the United States, as well as a liaison bureau in Abuja.
He expressed concern over what he described as the Blue Justice Gap in the Gulf of Guinea, noting that more than 70 per cent of artisanal fishers go to sea without safety equipment.
He also lamented that West Africa loses approximately $2.3 billion annually to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, while more than 90 per cent of fisherfolk lack access to legal aid or reporting channels.
Also speaking, the Director of Policy and Advocacy of the ABER Women’s Forum, Dr. Mrs. Ezeadili Appolonia Obiageri, and the Director of Communication and Public Affairs, Hajiya Medina Dauda Nadabo, commended Senator Imasuen for his intellectual contributions, distinguished profile and performance in the National Assembly. And for accepting to serve as Patron of ABER.