THE NIGERIAN BLUE ECONOMY AND THE NEED FOR A COMPREHENSIVE HUMAN CAPACITY STUDY IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Abstract

The United Nations (UN) first introduced “blue economy” at the UN Conference on sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro in 2012 and underlined sustainable management, based on the argument that marine ecosystems are more productive when they are healthy (United Nations, 2022). There is, however, no consensus on the exact definition and the field of application depends on the organization that uses it. According to the World Bank, the blue economy is the "sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving the health of ocean ecosystem." The European Commission defines it as "All economic activities related to oceans, seas and coasts. It covers a wide range of interlinked established and emerging sectors." The Commonwealth of Nations considers it "an emerging concept which encourages better stewardship of our ocean or 'blue' resources." (United Nations, 2024). Although the term “blue economy” has been used in different ways, it is understood here as comprising the range of economic sectors and related policies that together determine whether the use of oceanic resources is sustainable.