By Stellamaris Ashinze

Some experts on Monday urged the National Centre for Technology Management (NACETEM) to be more innovative while harnessing the potential of blue economy.

The experts gave the advice at the National Workshop on “Exploring the Potential of Blue Economy for Sustainable Development in Nigeria”, organised by NACETEM in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that blue economy is the sustainable use of ocean resources to support economic growth, job creation, and the health of marine ecosystems.

In his remarks, Dr Alban Igwe, the Chief Executive Officer, Etcetera Consult Ltd., said NACETEM could harness the potential in the blue economy by leveraging its innovative expertise.

According to Igwe, the worldwide ocean economy is valued at about 15 trillion dollars per annum, making the seventh largest economy in the world and 350 million jobs worldwide are linked to fisheries.

He presented a paper titled “Innovation in Blue Economy Development in Nigeria’’.

According to him, maritime education and research are the bedrock of blue economy and NACETEM can be a major partner of the blue economy.

“NACETEM is like an oilwell and if you do not exploit it, it will be in the sea waiting. NACETEM is also at the heart of solving Nigeria’s problem.

“When the wind of change blows, some people build walls and others build windmill, in the academic world the slogan is either published or perished.

“While in the business world, it is innovative or die and NACETEM has to explore its innovative expertise to explore the opportunities of blue economy for the economic growth of the nation,’’ he said.

Also speaking, Prof. Charles Asenime, School of Transport, Lagos State University, said that the blue economy is the turnkey of economic development.

Asenime said that if government gave more attention to its primary and secondary component, it had the potential to remove the country’s economy from recession.

According to him, it also has potential to reduce the restlessness of youths, improve their skill for local and international use.

“The financial sector has a role to play in the blue economy.”

The don while highlighting the challenges of blue economy as paucity of funds in ship building, encouraged NACETEM to come up with innovation.

The Director-General, NACETEM, Dr Olusola Odunsanya, emphasised that the marine aquaculture economy was a well thought out idea by the federal government to open up a new business opportunity.

Odunsanya said that the business of the marine aquaculture economy was all encompassing, adding that it required new thought to look into.

“It requires new thought to look into so as to understand the biology, to map and collect information that is already available in our marine environment.

“Before one can explore the value in any given environment, one must understand it and the aquaculture economy has yet to be understood.

“We need to improve the vessels that enter the marine environment. So, we started a discussion with West Africa Ventures and talking about boat building, introducing fiberglass boats, introducing aluminium, welding and all of that to improve the boating environment.

‘’We started thinking about recreational facilities that go beyond using vessels to go on the waters, but for people to use the marine environment as a learning tool to create quizzes and programmes for children.

‘’So, we are looking at the biology of the marine environment. We have ceded the extractive parts to those who are better at that. But there is a whole economy apart from extraction, ecotourism and all of that, that is around the biology of the blue and marine economy,’’ he said.

The DG expressed optimism that the workshop would prepare NACETEM for 2025, to take deep dives into marine and blue economy. (NAN)

Edited by Deji Abdulwahab