Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the BRACED Tourism Promotion & Development Initiative (BTPDI) and Publisher of ‘The Blue Economy Magazine Online’, Dr. Piriye Kiyaramo has called on governors in Nigeria’s South-South region to emulate Bayelsa State Governor Senator Douye Diri by establishing ministries dedicated to the Blue Economy. Dr. Kiyaramo made these remarks following the creation of a new Ministry of Blue Economy by Governor Diri.
Speaking to journalists in Yenagoa over the weekend, Dr. Kiyaramo applauded Governor Diri for his visionary step, emphasizing the need for other South-South governors to take similar actions to protect and optimize their maritime zones. He highlighted the immense potential of the Blue Economy, which encompasses 64% of the ocean’s surface and more than 90% of its volume.
Dr. Kiyaramo, who previously served as Senior Special Assistant on Tourism to Governor Diri, urged the governors to implement critical international targets for fisheries, aquaculture, habitat protection, and pollution reduction. He stressed the importance of leveraging the blue growth opportunities in their richly endowed maritime zones to harness marine resources.
“Governor Diri’s establishment of the Ministry of Blue Economy is a pivotal move to tap into the ocean’s potential. Governments, policymakers, and international institutions must balance conservation with growth to boost food security and eradicate poverty.”Dr. Kiyaramo stated.
However, he called for coordinated efforts among relevant ministries, agencies, and departments, advocating for integrated approaches, public-private partnerships, and secure financing to achieve good ocean governance.
Dr. Kiyaramo noted that the oceans, covering about 72% of the planet’s surface and constituting more than 95% of the biosphere, are crucial for life, generating oxygen, absorbing carbon dioxide, recycling nutrients, and regulating global climate and temperature.
“The oceans are vital for global food security, livelihoods, and economic growth. Addressing the challenges of feeding a growing population by 2050 amidst climate change and resource competition requires an integrated and sustainable approach” he said.
Kiyaramo explained that the Blue Economy approach integrates conservation with sustainable resource use, energy production, and marine transport. Highlighting the global move towards a Blue Economy strategy since 2012, Dr. Kiyaramo emphasized its role in promoting smart, sustainable, and inclusive growth and employment through maritime resources.
Dr. Kiyaramo also congratulated Dr. Faith Azibenua Zibs-Godwin on her appointment as the pioneer commissioner of the Ministry of Blue Economy, wishing her success in her new role.
