President Bola Tinubu has called on the People’s Republic of China to enter a strategic partnership with Nigeria on geophysical data sharing and technical cooperation to unlock the country’s vast marine resources.
He emphasised that Nigeria is not seeking aid but collaboration to strengthen its blue economy.
The proposal was delivered by Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, at the UN Sustainable Development Workshop on High‑quality Development of the Marine Economy in Beijing. The event was hosted by China’s Permanent Mission to the UN.
Ambassador Ibrahim commended China’s leadership in marine development and said the Tinubu administration is positioning Nigeria as a major player in the sector.
He cited the creation of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy as evidence of this commitment.
According to him, Nigeria seeks access to geophysical and nautical data, innovation, technology transfer and investment from China.
Such cooperation, he explained, would enable Nigeria to maximise the economic potential of its marine and coastal resources.
Ibrahim also urged stronger multilateral action to address climate change, weak cross‑border governance and unsustainable exploitation of marine resources.
“These challenges must not stand in the way of countries benefiting from what I describe as an ocean of prosperity,” he said.
Global Cooperation And Financing
The envoy encouraged the international community to move beyond policy talks and adopt innovation, artificial intelligence, circular economy models and data‑driven approaches for sustainable marine development.
He further proposed that the International Monetary Fund provide zero‑interest financing to help member states grow their blue economy sectors.
The workshop brought together diplomats, policy experts and development partners to discuss pathways for sustainable growth in the marine economy.
Nigeria’s call for partnership reflects its ambition to harness marine resources for economic diversification, job creation and environmental sustainability.
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