FG’s Blue Economy Committee includes Osinbajo, governors, and others.

FG’s Blue Economy Committee includes Osinbajo, governors, and others.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo

FG’s Blue Economy Committee includes Osinbajo, governors, and others.

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NewsReport gathered that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo launched the Expanded Partnership Committee on Sustainable Blue Economy at the Presidential Villa on Monday.

The committee, which is chaired by Osinbajo, is made up of state governors, ministers, security agency representatives, and other private-sector individuals.

Laolu Akande, Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity, revealed this in a statement titled, ‘VP inaugurates committee to reap greater benefits from marine resources.’

According to Laolu, the Buhari regime intends to further investigate the economic prospects accessible through maritime and marine resources throughout the country by bringing together top officials from the federal and state governments, foreign agencies, and other stakeholders.

The blue economy is the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving the health of ocean ecosystems. It entails emerging renewable energy, seabed extractive activities, marine biotechnology, and bioprospecting.

Speaking at the event, the VP was quoted as saying, “The blue economy offers a whole new vista of opportunity for economic activity especially in areas close to oceans, rivers, and coasts, but more importantly, perhaps the entire country, because practically everywhere has some body of water that can be exploited.”

On the committee’s composition, he noted that it has “representatives from the states and the geo-political zones, we have agency representation, Chief of Naval Staff, Comptroller-General of Customs, NIMASA and several other agencies. There are also ministries such as the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Ministry of Power, Ministry of Petroleum, Ministry of Environment.

There will be several agencies and several interactions between institutions because we are dealing with ports and terminals, oil and gas, the environment, tourism, hospitality–a whole range of economic activities that are connected to what is described as the Blue Economy.”

The inauguration was attended by the Governor of Borno State, Prof. Babagana Zulum; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Niyi Adebayo; Minister of State for Environment, Sharon Ikpeazu.