By Seun Ibiyemi
Nigeria’s Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola, has urged Danish investors and businesses to explore the growing investment opportunities in Nigeria’s marine and blue economy, promising attractive incentives, strong commercial prospects and an increasingly private-sector-driven business environment.
Oyetola made the call in Copenhagen, Denmark, during a bilateral meeting with Denmark’s Minister for Business and Competitiveness, Martin Lidegaard, as Nigeria intensified efforts to attract Danish capital, technology and expertise into its maritime sector.
The meeting formed part of the activities of the Nigerian Ministerial Delegation to Denmark on Maritime and the Blue Economy, led by Oyetola.
Discussions focused on investment, maritime infrastructure, technology, green transition, port efficiency, skills development and sustainable economic growth.
Oyetola said Nigeria had moved beyond developing the institutional framework for the Marine and Blue Economy and was now focused on project development, investment mobilisation, improved sector performance and capacity building.
“Nigeria is looking for partnerships that can improve sector performance, attract investment, deploy technology, strengthen skills and safety, advance sustainability and create quality jobs,” he said.
The minister said Nigeria’s marine and blue economy was open to investment across ports and logistics, shipbuilding and repairs, maritime services, digital technology, fisheries, green shipping, renewable energy, marine infrastructure, financing and multimodal connectivity.
He highlighted Nigeria’s extensive coastline, inland waterways, large consumer market and strategic position in West and Central Africa as key advantages for investors seeking long-term opportunities across the maritime value chain.
R-L: Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola; Managing Director, Africa & Europe, APM Terminals, Igor van den Essen; and CEO, APM Terminals, Keith Svendsen, during the Minister’s meeting with the Danish business community in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Tuesday.
According to him, the presence of Danish-origin companies already operating in Nigeria’s maritime sector demonstrates the viability of the market and provides a foundation for deeper commercial relations.
“The presence of some Danish companies in Nigeria provides a strong foundation on which we can build. We want to deepen that relationship and create the conditions for more Danish businesses, investors and technology providers to participate in Nigeria’s maritime transformation,” Oyetola said.
He urged Danish businesses to look beyond their existing investments and explore emerging opportunities in Nigeria’s maritime value chain.
Oyetola said the country needed strategic partners capable of providing capital, technology, expertise and innovation to accelerate the transformation of the sector.
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He added that the Nigeria-Denmark engagement was intended to move beyond diplomatic commitments towards identifying bankable projects and practical partnerships capable of producing measurable economic outcomes.
Oyetola said Denmark’s global expertise in shipping, maritime services, logistics, green technologies and sustainable ocean industries could complement Nigeria’s market size and commercial potential.
He noted that partnerships between both countries could combine Danish technology and expertise with Nigeria’s scale as Africa’s largest economy.
Lidegaard welcomed the prospect of closer cooperation with Nigeria’s Marine and Blue Economy agenda, stressing the importance of practical partnerships involving businesses, government institutions, technology providers and knowledge institutions.
He said such partnerships would be essential to developing solutions that could be implemented, scaled and commercially sustained in both countries.
Members of the Nigerian delegation included the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Mrs. Fatima Mahmood; Senior Special Assistant to the President on Marine and Blue Economy, Professor Busayo Fakinlede; Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho; Director-General of the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA), Dr. Pius Akutah; and Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dayo Mobereola, among others.
