Nigeria and China have pledged to deepen cooperation in the marine and blue economy sector, focusing on boosting port development and opening new markets for Nigerian aquaculture exports.

This commitment was made during a meeting between the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, and the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja on Thursday.

Oyetola highlighted Nigeria’s vast maritime endowments, including its 853 kilometers of coastline along the Atlantic Ocean and over 10,000 kilometers of inland waterways.

He emphasised that Nigeria’s maritime domain holds immense potential for shipping, port operations, fisheries, renewable ocean energy, marine tourism, and coastal infrastructure development. “Our ministry is determined to create the right framework for investment and partnership, and we believe that Nigeria has a lot to learn from China’s marine and blue economy development model,” Oyetola stated.

The Chinese Ambassador, Yu Dunhai, lauded Nigeria’s vast maritime endowment and reaffirmed China’s readiness to support Nigeria in harnessing its marine and blue economy potential. He highlighted the Lekki Deep Seaport, constructed by China Harbour Engineering Company, as a shining example of Sino-Nigerian collaboration.

The port is capable of handling ultra-large container vessels and significantly boosting Nigeria’s trade volume. According to Ambassador Yu, the project has created thousands of direct and indirect jobs, eased congestion at Lagos ports, and positioned Nigeria as a key maritime hub in West and Central Africa.

Ambassador Yu also revealed that an agreement is in the works for the export of Nigerian aquacultural products to China, which will open new markets for local producers and strengthen food trade ties between the two nations. China has already approved zero tariffs on Nigeria’s aquaculture exports to the Chinese market, demonstrating China’s commitment to deepening economic cooperation.

Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to building on the solid foundation of China-Nigeria relations. Oyetola expressed optimism that new avenues of collaboration would emerge from the engagement, saying, “Nigeria’s marine and blue economy holds tremendous opportunities for investors, and with China’s cooperation, we are confident of unlocking this potential for the benefit of our people.”

In a separate development, Nigeria and China have also inked a $2bn maritime investment deal aimed at accelerating indigenous vessel ownership and positioning Nigeria as a regional maritime hub.

The initiative is expected to deliver $2bn in vessel investments, $20bn in freight contracts for Nigerian operators, $200m for maritime training, and $50m for training vessels. This programme is anticipated to create over 2,000 new maritime jobs annually, train 25,000 globally certified Nigerian seafarers, and build a robust local shipping ecosystem.