Nigeria and China have pledged to deepen cooperation in the marine and blue economy sector, with a focus on port development, aquaculture exports, and large-scale maritime investments.

The commitment was reached during a meeting between Nigeria’s Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, and the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja on Thursday.

Oyetola underscored Nigeria’s strategic maritime position, with 853 kilometers of coastline along the Atlantic Ocean and more than 10,000 kilometers of inland waterways. He described the sector’s potential as enormous, spanning shipping, port operations, fisheries, renewable ocean energy, marine tourism, and coastal infrastructure.

“Our ministry is determined to create the right framework for investment and partnership, and we believe that Nigeria has a lot to learn from China’s marine and blue economy development model,” Oyetola said.

Ambassador Yu hailed Nigeria’s maritime endowment and reaffirmed China’s readiness to partner with Nigeria in unlocking this potential. He pointed to the Lekki Deep Seaport—constructed by China Harbour Engineering Company as a “shining example” of Sino-Nigerian collaboration. The facility, capable of handling ultra-large container vessels, has eased congestion at Lagos ports, boosted trade volume, and created thousands of jobs.

Yu also disclosed that China has approved zero tariffs on Nigerian aquaculture exports, paving the way for local producers to enter the Chinese market. He confirmed that both countries are finalising an agreement to expand food trade ties through aquaculture, further cementing economic cooperation.

In addition to port and trade initiatives, Nigeria and China have signed a $2 billion maritime investment deal designed to accelerate indigenous vessel ownership and position Nigeria as a regional maritime hub. The programme will deliver $2bn in vessel investments, $20bn in freight contracts for Nigerian operators, $200m for maritime training, and $50m for training vessels.

Officials say the initiative is expected to generate more than 2,000 maritime jobs annually, train 25,000 globally certified Nigerian seafarers, and build a robust local shipping ecosystem.

Reaffirming Nigeria’s optimism, Oyetola said, “Nigeria’s marine and blue economy holds tremendous opportunities for investors, and with China’s cooperation, we are confident of unlocking this potential for the benefit of our people.”