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, saying Nigeria is not seeking aid.
The offer was delivered by Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, on behalf of President Tinubu at the UN Sustainable Development Workshop on High-quality Development of the Marine Economy in Beijing.
The event was hosted by the Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations.
Ambassador Ibrahim commended China’s leadership in the blue economy 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 proof of that commitment.
According to him, what Nigeria wants from China is not financial assistance, but strategic collaboration in the form of access to geophysical and nautical data, innovation, technology transfer, and investment. Such cooperation, he added, will enable Nigeria to maximize the economic potential of its marine and coastal resources.
The envoy also pushed for stronger multilateral action to tackle climate change, weak cross-border governance, and the unsustainable exploitation of marine resources.
He warned that these challenges must not stand in the way of countries benefiting from what he described as an “ocean of prosperity.”
Ibrahim urged the global community to move from policy talks to concrete steps by adopting innovation, artificial intelligence, circular economy models, and data-driven approaches for sustainable blue economy development.
He further proposed that the International Monetary Fund provide zero-interest financing to help member states develop their blue economy sectors.
The workshop brought together diplomats, policy experts, and development partners to discuss pathways for sustainable growth in the marine economy.
