Joyce Mmereole Okoli
Nigeria’s Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola, has urged Danish investors, technology providers and maritime businesses to take advantage of the vast opportunities emerging from Nigeria’s marine and blue economy, assuring them of attractive investment prospects and a policy environment increasingly driven by private-sector participation.
Oyetola made the call in Copenhagen, Denmark, during a bilateral meeting with Denmark’s Minister for Business and Competitiveness, Martin Lidegaard, as Nigeria intensified efforts to attract Danish capital, technology, expertise and innovation into the country’s maritime sector.
The meeting formed part of the activities of the official Nigerian Ministerial Delegation to Denmark on Maritime and the Blue Economy, led by Oyetola, with both sides exploring opportunities for deeper cooperation in maritime infrastructure, port efficiency, technology, green transition, skills development, investment and sustainable economic growth.
The Nigerian delegation also engaged senior Danish government officials and key players in the country’s maritime industry as part of efforts to translate bilateral relations into concrete commercial partnerships and investment opportunities.
Oyetola said Nigeria had moved beyond the stage of establishing the institutional framework for the Marine and Blue Economy, stressing that the sector had entered a new phase focused on project development, investment mobilisation, improved performance and human-capital development.
According to him, the Federal Government is seeking strategic partnerships capable of delivering tangible improvements across the maritime value chain.
“Nigeria is looking for partnerships that can improve sector performance, attract investment, deploy technology, strengthen skills and safety, advance sustainability and create quality jobs,” Oyetola said.
He stressed that Nigeria’s marine and blue economy remained open to credible investors, identifying opportunities in ports and logistics, shipbuilding and ship repair, maritime services, digital technology, fisheries, green shipping, renewable energy, marine infrastructure, financing and multimodal connectivity.
The minister noted that Nigeria’s extensive coastline, inland waterways, large consumer market and strategic position in West and Central Africa offer investors access to a broad and growing maritime market.
He said the Federal Government was particularly interested in partnerships that would combine private capital and expertise with Nigeria’s enormous market potential to deliver commercially viable projects.
Oyetola further pointed to the presence of Danish-origin companies already operating in Nigeria’s maritime space as evidence of the viability of the Nigerian market and a strong foundation for expanding economic ties between the two countries.
“The presence of some Danish companies in Nigeria provides a strong foundation on which we can build. We want to deepen that relationship and create the conditions for more Danish businesses, investors and technology providers to participate in Nigeria’s maritime transformation,” he said.
He therefore encouraged Danish businesses to look beyond existing investments and explore new opportunities across Nigeria’s maritime value chain.
The minister said the country needed investors capable of bringing not only capital, but also technology, innovation, managerial expertise and international best practices that could accelerate the transformation of the sector.
Oyetola explained that the Nigeria-Denmark engagement was deliberately focused on moving beyond broad diplomatic commitments to the identification of bankable projects and practical partnerships capable of producing measurable economic outcomes.
“We are interested in partnerships that translate into projects, investments, technology transfer, capacity development and jobs. The objective is to ensure that our engagement produces tangible benefits for both Nigeria and Denmark,” he added.
He noted that Denmark’s globally recognised expertise in shipping, maritime services, logistics, green technologies and sustainable ocean industries made the country a natural partner for Nigeria as it seeks to unlock the economic potential of its marine and blue economy.
According to him, the partnership offers an opportunity to combine Danish technology, knowledge and experience with Nigeria’s market size, strategic location and abundant maritime resources.
Responding, Lidegaard welcomed the prospect of closer cooperation with Nigeria under the Federal Government’s Marine and Blue Economy agenda.
He stressed the importance of practical partnerships involving businesses, government institutions, technology providers and knowledge institutions, noting that collaboration among these stakeholders would be essential to developing solutions that could be successfully implemented, scaled and commercially sustained.
The Danish minister expressed optimism that stronger engagement between both countries would create opportunities for businesses and institutions on both sides while supporting sustainable economic development.
The Nigerian delegation included the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Mrs. Fatima Mahmood; Senior Special Assistant to the President on Marine and Blue Economy, Professor Busayo Fakinlede; Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho; Director-General, Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA), Dr. Pius Akutah; and Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dayo Mobereola, among others.
The engagement is part of the Federal Government’s broader efforts to position Nigeria’s marine and blue economy as a major driver of investment, job creation, technology transfer, industrial development and sustainable economic growth.