The ocean is a vital resource for our planet, providing food in the form of fish and shellfish, supporting shipping activities for both passengers and cargo, and offering recreational opportunities. Additionally, it serves as a valuable source of minerals like salt, sand, gravel, and deep-sea minerals such as manganese, copper, nickel, iron, and cobalt, along with being a key site for crude oil extraction. Moreover, the ocean plays a critical role in regulating Earth’s climate by sequestering carbon and producing oxygen. Recently, it has garnered attention for its potential in providing biomedical organisms for disease treatment.
Recognizing the ocean’s indispensable role in sustaining life on Earth, it is essential to prioritize proper management and conservation efforts for the benefit of future generations. Nigeria, with a coastline spanning approximately 900 km and a total shelf area of around 42,000 km2, holds significant maritime territory, including the territorial sea and the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The territorial sea extends 12 nautical miles from the coastline, granting sovereignty over the airspace, seabed, and subsoil.
The marine environment is a crucial component of the world’s natural and cultural heritage, featuring diverse marine and estuarine flora, fauna, and ecosystems that contribute to self-sustaining systems across various geographical scales. Activities within the marine environment encompass a wide range of sectors, including environmental preservation, development, security, and transportation.
Challenges facing the Development of Marine Resources in Nigeria
1. Inconsistent Government Policy
Government policies concerning the development of marine resources in Nigeria have been notably deficient compared to other sectors. There is a lack of viable government initiatives aimed at harnessing marine resources, and the few policies that have been implemented have been inconsistent. This inconsistency has significantly impeded the progress of marine resource development. The frequent changes in government policies in Nigeria pose various economic and socio-political threats to the country’s development.
One policy area that has experienced considerable fluctuations over the years is the development of marine resources. Previous administrations had plans to establish an Export Processing Zone (EPZ) to facilitate the development of marine resources, but these plans have been shelved by the current administration. The absence of robust government policies has allowed foreign entities to exploit our waters, resulting in the depletion of fish stocks and leaving local fishermen vulnerable to their activities.
2. Inadequate Scientific Data Infrastructure for Marine Resources
The lack of comprehensive research on the biology and population dynamics of exploitable aquatic fauna has led to unscientific exploitation of marine resources, posing a threat to environmental stability. The insufficient availability of biological, geological, and statistical data makes it challenging to determine the extent to which ocean resources are being utilized. Fisheries management is hindered by the absence of reliable data on stock levels. There is an urgent need to establish state, regional, and national databases of fish species and other marine resources, accessible to all stakeholders.
3. Open Access Nature of Marine Resources
The open-access nature of marine resources, where there are no restrictions on entry due to the absence of property rights, presents a significant challenge to their sustainable development in Nigeria. This lack of ownership rights leads to overexploitation, particularly in fisheries, where unrestricted access has resulted in excessive fishing pressure on stocks. Enforcement of existing regulations is hindered by inadequate resources and political factors, leading to illegal activities such as sand mining in coastal communities, exacerbating coastal erosion.
4. Climate Change
Marine resources, like all ecosystems, are susceptible to the effects of climate change. Variations in key water variables, such as temperature, salinity, and ocean currents, impact the abundance and distribution of fish populations and fisheries activities. Rising sea levels pose a threat to coastal infrastructure and ecosystems, including beaches and mangrove swamps. Climate change also affects marine organisms’ phenology and can lead to coral bleaching and ocean acidification, further impacting aquatic ecosystems.
5. Overexploitation/Pollution
Nigeria lacks adherence to the allowable catch policy for fishing in coastal waters, leading to overexploitation of marine resources. While some marine resources are renewable, such as fish, their stocks are not infinite and are susceptible to overexploitation. In the past, there was a misconception that fisheries resources were inexhaustible, but this notion has been proven wrong.
Overexploitation has been attributed to advancements in fishing technology and equipment, such as steam trawlers and factory trawlers, as well as technical innovations like hydraulic winches, inboard refrigeration, and acoustic fish finders. These developments have enabled humans to exploit water resources excessively, depleting fish stocks. Pollution also poses a significant threat to the sustainability of marine resources.
Solution to the Challenges facing Development of Marine Resources in Nigeria
Addressing the conservation and management challenges of marine resources in Nigeria’s aquatic ocean necessitates a holistic approach. This includes gaining a comprehensive understanding of the resources, employing sustainable exploitation methods, utilizing current scientific data, and acknowledging the risks associated with detrimental practices. Scientific research should take precedence, as seen in Kenya’s successful management of marine and coastal fisheries.
Moving forward, the following steps are essential:
1. Integration and Coordination of Ocean Activities
Achieving sustainable development in Nigeria’s maritime sector relies on integrating and coordinating activities. This is crucial for balancing competing uses of the ocean, conserving ecosystem integrity, and realizing Sustainable Development Goals. Integration fosters cooperation across various government levels and departments.
2. Comprehensive Policy Framework
Developing a comprehensive policy framework is closely linked to integration efforts. Such policies should coordinate activities related to managing natural capital and recognize the ocean’s importance for development. Prioritizing ecosystem integrity and adhering to sustainable blue economy principles are essential for achieving ecological, economic, and social objectives.
3. Data Management and Capacity Development
Data is vital for policymakers and researchers to assess performance and formulate relevant policies. Effective data management, especially for Marine Spatial Planning and fisheries stock assessment, provides critical information for marine sectors. Enhancing data management capabilities contributes to addressing challenges like poverty and fostering capacity development.
4. Financing the Maritime Economy
Securing adequate financing is necessary for driving sustainable development initiatives forward. Despite challenges, Nigeria must mobilize resources and commit to investing in its maritime economy to unlock its potential for growth and development.
The solutions proposed for the challenges in developing ocean resources in Nigeria can be summarized as follows:
- Enhancing ocean governance and policy coordination by clarifying roles and responsibilities and fostering cooperation and collaboration for effective implementation.
- Encouraging sea-going fishermen to diversify their livelihood strategies by promoting engagement in alternative occupations like aquaculture or farming.
- Establishing a transparent legal, regulatory, and fiscal framework to regulate and adjust revenue streams effectively.
- Implementing regional approaches, where applicable, to achieve economies of scale, such as developing model agreements for adaptation at the national level and creating regional and national databases.
- Formulating environmental policies, regulations, and guidelines to control and regulate exploration and mining activities.
- Advocating for the involvement of international organizations, like the International Maritime Organization (IMO), to actively support Nigeria’s ocean resource development efforts.
