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BBC Pidgin of Thursday, 17 August 2023

Source: BBC

Wetin Blue Economy Mean For Nigeria And Oda Tins Di New Minister Go Do

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For many pipo for Nigeria, Blue Economy go be like new word, but dem no sabi say more dan 3 billion pipo for di world dey use am for dia livelihood and 40% of di population for di world dey live near am.

Make we surprise you, Blue Economy dey generate around $1.5 tiillion per year wey make am di seventh largest economy for di world and e dey projected to double to $3 trillion by 2030, according to di Commonwealth.

But dis na one economy wey Nigeria never begin dey invest into and so much focus never dey ontop am.

Infact, as important as Blue Economy dey for di Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) wey dey touch on everything wey we dey do for life, Nigeria no put plenti strength to develop am.

For di first time for Nigeria, current President Bola Tinubu don create one ministry wey im name ‘Marine and Blue Economy’.

Di ministry go dey headed by Mr Bunmi Tunji-Ojo wey be former lawmaker for di lower chamber of di Nigeria national assembly.

Wetin Blue Economy mean?

Di Blue Economy na term wey refer to all di activities wey dey related to di oceans and every contributions wey go lead to di growth, improvement and preservation of environmental sustainability of di ocean.

European even put am as all di economic activities wey dey related to oceans, seas and coasts. Dis one mean say, Blue Economy dey link and contribute to food security and clear poverty.

E also relate to goal 14 of di SDGs wey be ‘Life Below Water’. Di ocean na very important source of food, energy and minerals wey dey useful to different sectors, but still di economy dey under threat sake of different activities wey human beings bin dey do.

Some of di threat to Blue Economy na pollution, ocean warming and fishery collapse wey fit destroy di ocean and go cause scarcity of food and some oda minerals wey need for human beings to fit able survive.

How Blue Economy fit hellep economy for Nigeria

Now wey Nigeria don get ministry wey go handle Blue Economy, e dey necessary to sabi say dis go hellep di kontri.

E don dey estimated say di total value of ocean assets dey $24 trillion. If Nigeria bin tap into dis economy, e mean say plenti opportunities go dey to enjoy.

According to di National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) for dia current data, unemployment for Nigeria don enter 33.3% and annual inflation rate bin jump reach 24.08%.

Report by the Commonwealth show say 350 million jobs for di world dey linked wit fish matter- e mean say if Nigeria invest for fishing sector, e go contribute to employment opportunities for di kontri.

E also dey notable say wit di plenti water bodi wey dey Nigeria, di kontri go dey contribute to di 50% of all di fish wey human dey consume through aquaculture.

Nigeria dey battle plenti climate change, but di Blue Economy go hellep address di problem wey di kontri dey face.

Minister for Marine and Blue Economy: wetin sabi pipo tok

Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo na di new minister wey go handle Blue Economy for Nigeria. Dis na afta jim go through di screening of di senate house wen president Tinubu bin send im name go di house.

On Wednesday night, e dey confam say Tunji-Ojo go handle Marine and Blue Economy ministry as di president bin announce portfolios for all di ministers.

Although di minister bin study electrical and electronics engineering for university before im go for masters in digital communications and networking, plenti expectation don dey ontop im head.

Di new minister go handle sectors wey include fisheries, aquaculture, marine tourism, and many odas.

One ogbonge sabi person for climate and energy matter, Samuel Ajala, wey follow BBC News Pidgin tok reveal say di new minister need use di ministry tackle di climate change problem wey Nigeria bin dey face.

E add say di new minister must put for place policy wey go support fishery management, pollution control, marine transportation and many oda tin wey dey related to di ocean.

“E dey important to remember say to fulfil di Blue Economy potential to fight cliante change, e go need call for comprehensive strategy wey go balance di economic development and environmental protection for Nigeria.”

Wen minister Tunji-Ojo bin dey di house of representatives, im don perform for different commitees and some of dem dey related to matter wey dey related to di ocean.

One of dem na di position of di Chairman of di house committee on Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), but still, plenti Nigeria dey look up to wetin im go do for dis new ministry.

Anoda sabi pesin wey bi ogbonge for climate, environment and accountability project from di Center for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) Nicholas Adeniyi, tok say di announcement of di new ministry na very good move wey mean say di president dey determine to di growth of di nation but make we no happy too much sake of say di responsibility wey dey di new minister from na huge one.

"Di minister must to create blueprint wey go address di wetlands for Nigeria, attend to di needs of coastal communities wey dey vulnerable to di danger wey global warming dey cause.

Mr Adeniyi mention say di new ministry gatz regulate activities wey go get plenti effect for ocean.

As di President go swear-in di new ministers for Monday, plenti pipo dey expect wetin di ministry of Marine and Blue Economy go perform and contribute to di kontri.