By Chibuike Nwabuko
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd.), has described Nigeria’s blue economy as a strategic necessity for the country’s future prosperity, stressing its potential to provide food, jobs and energy for the growing economy.
Dambazau stated this in remarks posted on his X handle on Saturday following his participation in the 2026 Global Ocean Development Forum in Qingdao, China.
He highlighted the speed and efficiency of China’s high-speed rail system, noting that the journey from Beijing to Qingdao—about the distance between Maiduguri and Lagos—was completed in roughly four hours at speeds of about 300 kilometres per hour.
The former Army chief said the international maritime gathering provided a platform for global collaboration on sustainable ocean development and served as China’s flagship mechanism for implementing the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, covering 2021 to 2030.
The 2026 Ocean Cooperation and Development Forum was themed, “From Azure Depths to a Shared Future – Developing a Sustainable Marine Economy for a Beautiful and Prosperous Ocean.”
Speaking at the forum, Dambazau said Nigeria must treat the blue economy as a strategic component of its development agenda.
“For Nigeria, the blue economy is not a luxury; it is a strategic necessity for our future prosperity,” he said, adding that it represents “food for our families, jobs for our youth, and energy for our growing industries.”
He also commended President Bola Tinubu for establishing a dedicated Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, describing the move as an indication of the administration’s vision for the sector.
Dambazau further highlighted China’s progress in marine science and environmental protection, citing ongoing collaboration between the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State, and the Ocean University of China in Qingdao.
According to him, the institutions are working towards establishing a joint laboratory for river delta research, which he said demonstrated the potential for stronger Nigeria-China cooperation in marine science.
He noted that Africa’s extensive coastline and abundant marine resources offered significant opportunities, but warned that the continent also faced challenges including pollution, overfishing, climate change and the destruction of marine habitats.
“These problems do not respect borders, therefore require collective action,” he said.
Dambazau also pointed to the African Union’s inclusion of the blue economy in its Agenda 2063, saying greater cooperation with China could help translate the continental vision into practical development outcomes.
He said the longstanding friendship between Nigeria and China provided a strong foundation for expanding bilateral cooperation in marine affairs and developing Africa’s maritime resources sustainably.
