The Ministry officially unveiled its Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS) at the Fourth Quarter 2025 Stakeholders and Citizens Engagement held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja. The event was hosted by the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr Adegboyega Oyetola, alongside the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Walson-Jack.
The high-level forum, themed “Positioning Nigeria’s Marine and Blue Economy for Investment, Innovation and Expansion: The Pathway,” brought together regulators, private sector operators, investors, development partners and other stakeholders across the marine and blue economy value chain.
Delivering the keynote address, Oyetola described the engagement as a critical step in repositioning the marine and blue economy as a pillar of economic diversification, inclusive growth and global competitiveness. He said the forum was designed to deepen transparency, accountability and stakeholder participation in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
According to the Minister, the newly launched ECMS is a strategic investment that goes beyond internal administration, with direct implications for service delivery and investor confidence. He noted that the platform would streamline workflows, strengthen records management, improve decision-making and enhance the Ministry’s responsiveness to investors, operators and partners.
Oyetola highlighted the vast opportunities within the sector, citing Nigeria’s long coastline, extensive inland waterways and strategic geographic location as key advantages for maritime trade, fisheries, aquaculture, logistics, tourism and allied services.
He disclosed that local fish production increased from 1.1 million metric tonnes to 1.4 million metric tonnes in the past year, attributing the growth to targeted interventions, improved coordination, technology deployment and better planning. While acknowledging that the output remains below Nigeria’s estimated annual consumption of 3.6 million metric tonnes, he said the trend reflects steady progress.
The Minister also revealed ongoing engagements with financial institutions to secure single-digit interest loans for fishermen nationwide, aimed at boosting productivity, expanding access to finance and curbing illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
On the international front, Oyetola said Nigeria’s recent election into Category C of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and its emergence as Chairman of the Conference of Ministers of the Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea signal renewed global confidence in the country’s maritime governance and reform efforts.
He added that the Ministry’s initiatives have earned national recognition, citing a 96 per cent performance rating by the Central Results Delivery Coordination Unit (CRDCU), favourable assessments from the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), and National Bureau of Statistics data ranking water transportation among the five fastest-growing sectors of the economy.
In her remarks, Walson-Jack praised the Ministry’s reform agenda and the successful deployment of the ECMS, describing it as a significant milestone in the Federal Civil Service’s transition to paperless operations. She said the system would strengthen institutional memory, reduce bureaucracy, enhance accountability and support faster, more efficient service delivery.
Participants at the event reaffirmed their commitment to supporting sustainable growth, innovation and investment across Nigeria’s marine and blue economy.