Title: Blue Economy and Sustainable Development Goal 14: A Re-examination of the Targets in Nigeria Maritime Sector
Authors: Paul C. Ezinna, Ph.D, Uzochukwu, I. Ozumba, Christopher, O. Ugwuibe, Ph.D, and Uchenna, C. Ijeoma
Volume: 9
Issue: 9
Pages: 177-188
Publication Date: 2025/09/28
Abstract:
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) target year, 2030, is rapidly approaching, and national governments achievement indices in diverse sectors are the indicators of whether the goals will be attained by that time. SDG 14, Life Below Water, is about the conservation and sustainable use of the ocean and its resources. The Nigerian Blue Economy initiative express that the country's waters, brown or blue, hold more economic potential than is currently known and if fully exploited, would boost the economy and improve the living standard of the citizens. On January 17, 2022, the Federal Government of Nigeria inaugurated the Expanded Committee on Sustainable Blue Economy, with the mandate to ensure proper exploitation of the benefits of the Blue Economy. Therefore, the objective of this study is to re-examine Nigeria's blue investment in relation to SDG 14 and determine the impacts of the Blue Economy initiative and achievability SDG 14 in Nigeria by the target year. The documentary research approach was adopted for the study while the interpretation is based on Public Private Partnership (PPP) framework. Finding of the study indicate that the trajectory of Nigeria economy is currently blue and concludes that even if SDG 14 is not 100% achieved in Nigeria by 2030, the economy will no longer be oil dependent but diversified to blue buoyance economy.