.The Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy on Wednesday launched its Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS), marking a significant milestone in the Ministry’s ongoing digital transformation and institutional reform agenda.
The ECMS was jointly unveiled by the Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola, CON, and the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, at the Ministry’s Fourth Quarter 2025 Stakeholders and Citizens Engagement held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.
The engagement, themed “Positioning Nigeria’s Marine and Blue Economy for Investment, Innovation and Expansion: The Pathway,” brought together a wide range of stakeholders from across the marine and blue economy value chain.
In his keynote address, Dr. Oyetola described the forum as a defining moment in Nigeria’s efforts to reposition the marine and blue economy as a vital driver of economic diversification, sustainable growth and global competitiveness. He explained that the engagement was designed to deepen transparency, accountability, collaboration and shared ownership of reforms in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Speaking on the launch of the ECMS, the Minister said the platform represents a strategic investment aimed at improving efficiency, transparency and service delivery, beyond enhancing internal administration.
“A digitally enabled Ministry is a more responsive Ministry,” Dr. Oyetola said. “Through the ECMS, we are streamlining workflows, strengthening records management, improving decision-making and enhancing our capacity to support investors, operators and partners with speed, clarity and integrity.”
Highlighting the vast potential of the sector, the Minister noted that Nigeria’s extensive coastline, inland waterways and strategic location offer immense opportunities in maritime trade, fisheries, aquaculture, logistics, tourism and allied services, with strong prospects for job creation, inclusive growth and regional integration.
He outlined key achievements recorded by the Ministry in the past year, particularly in fisheries and aquaculture, where local fish production rose from 1.1 million metric tonnes to 1.4 million metric tonnes. Although this remains below Nigeria’s annual consumption of 3.6 million tonnes, Dr. Oyetola said the improvement reflects targeted interventions, better coordination, technology deployment and improved sectoral planning.
The Minister also disclosed ongoing engagements with financial institutions to provide single-digit interest loans to fishermen nationwide, aimed at improving access to affordable financing, boosting productivity, empowering operators and curbing illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
On the global front, Dr. Oyetola noted that Nigeria’s election into Category C of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and its emergence as Chairman of the Conference of Ministers of the Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea reflect renewed international confidence in Nigeria’s maritime leadership, governance reforms and policy direction.
He added that the Ministry’s reform efforts have attracted national recognition, including a 96 per cent performance rating by the Central Results Delivery Coordination Unit (CRDCU), positive assessments by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), and recent National Bureau of Statistics data ranking water transportation among the top five fastest-growing sectors of the Nigerian economy.
In her remarks, Mrs. Walson-Jack commended the Ministry for its reform initiatives and notable achievements, particularly the successful deployment of the ECMS. She described the platform as a major step towards paperless governance, improved records management and faster, more efficient service delivery across the public service.
According to her, the ECMS will strengthen institutional memory, reduce bureaucracy, enhance accountability and align the Ministry with the Federal Civil Service’s broader digital transformation agenda.
The event attracted regulators, private sector operators, development partners, investors and representatives from various segments of the marine and blue economy, who reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the sector’s growth and long-term sustainability.
The statement was signed by Dr. Bolaji Akinola, Special Adviser to the Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy
