Oyetola Woos Danish Investors to Nigeria’s Marine, Blue Economy

By Stella Okocha

Nigeria has stepped up efforts to attract Danish investment, technology and expertise into its marine and blue economy, with the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola, urging Danish businesses to take advantage of emerging opportunities across the country’s maritime value chain.

Oyetola made the appeal in Copenhagen during a bilateral meeting with Denmark’s Minister for Business and Competitiveness, Martin Lidegaard, as part of an official Nigerian ministerial delegation to Denmark on maritime development and the blue economy.

The discussions focused on investment, maritime infrastructure, technology, green transition, port efficiency, skills development and sustainable economic growth.

Oyetola said Nigeria had moved beyond establishing the institutional framework for the Marine and Blue Economy and was now entering a phase centred on project development, investment mobilisation, improved sector performance and capacity building.

“Nigeria is looking for partnerships that can improve sector performance, attract investment, deploy technology, strengthen skills and safety, advance sustainability and create quality jobs,” the minister said.

The minister said Nigeria’s marine and blue economy was open to private-sector investment, 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.

According to him, Nigeria’s extensive coastline, inland waterways, large consumer market and strategic location within West and Central Africa provide investors with access to a broad range of opportunities across the maritime value chain.

He also pointed to the presence of Danish-origin companies already operating in Nigeria as evidence of the viability of the market and a foundation for expanding bilateral commercial relations.

“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,” Oyetola said.

He urged Danish companies to look beyond existing investments and explore emerging opportunities, stressing that Nigeria needed strategic partners capable of bringing capital, technology, expertise and innovation into the sector.

Oyetola said the Nigeria-Denmark engagement was intended to move beyond broad diplomatic commitments towards identifying bankable projects and practical partnerships capable of delivering measurable economic results.

He said Nigeria was particularly interested in partnerships that could improve infrastructure, deploy modern technology, develop human capacity, strengthen safety standards and accelerate the transition towards sustainable maritime operations.

For Denmark, he noted, Nigeria represents an opportunity to combine its internationally recognised expertise in shipping, maritime services, logistics, green technologies and sustainable ocean industries with the scale and commercial potential of Africa’s largest economy.

Lidegaard welcomed Nigeria’s drive to develop its Marine and Blue Economy and stressed the importance of practical partnerships involving businesses, government institutions, technology providers and knowledge institutions.

He said such partnerships would be important in developing solutions that could be implemented, scaled and sustained commercially in both countries.

The engagement is expected to strengthen cooperation between Nigeria and Denmark in areas ranging from maritime infrastructure and port operations to green technology, skills development and sustainable ocean-based industries.

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 of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho; Director-General of the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency, Dr. Pius Akutah; and Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, among other officials.

The Copenhagen engagement forms part of the Federal Government’s broader strategy to position the marine and blue economy as a major driver of investment, employment, industrial development and sustainable economic growth, while leveraging international partnerships to bring capital, technology and expertise into Nigeria’s maritime sector.