Blue Economy and the Strategic Survival of Nigeria’s Maritime Sub-Sector (2000 - 2026)
Keywords:
Blue economy, maritime sub-sector, GDP, maritime transport development, port infrastructure development, fisheries and aquaculture developmentAbstract
This study examined the blue economy and the strategic survival of Nigeria’s maritime sub-sector. Specifically, the study assessed maritime transport development, port infrastructure development, and fisheries and aquaculture development contributions to GDP in Nigeria. The ex-post facto research design was adopted and utilised annual secondary time-series data covering thirty-two years, 1994–2025, compiled from maritime, national-accounts and fisheries statistical sources. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis and simple ordinary least-squares regressions were employed with the help of E-views 10.0. The findings revealed that maritime transport development has a positive but statistically insignificant effect on maritime-sector contribution to GDP, port infrastructure development has a positive and significant effect and fisheries and aquaculture development also had a positive and significant effect. It was concluded that productive port capacity and fisheries development provide stronger measurable support for the strategic survival of Nigeria’s maritime sub-sector than vessel traffic alone. It was recommended that port-capacity efficiency should be strengthened, maritime transport policy should emphasise productive vessel utilisation, and fisheries and aquaculture value chains should be deepened.
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