Paschal Emeka
Abuja
The Africa Blue Economy Roundtable has called on Africa’s 38 coastal and island states to integrate Ocean Science into school curricula as the fastest route to sustainable growth, secure coastal livelihoods, and stronger environmental stewardship.
The call came in a paper titled “The Imperative of Blue Education” presented at the Warri Blue Economy Summit. The summit’s theme was “Harnessing Our Blue Wealth for Sustainable Growth and Shared Prosperity.”
“Africa’s 38 coastal and island states sit on the world’s largest economic frontier, the ocean. Yet most students graduate without ever learning how it works,” said Dr. Kiyaramo. He defined Blue Education as the deliberate integration of Ocean Science into Africa’s coastal states’ school curricula.
“If the Niger Delta is to transition from oil dependence to ocean prosperity, we must start not at the ports, but in our classrooms,” Dr. Kiyaramo told delegates. He currently serves as Special Assistant on Blue Economy to the Managing Director/CEO of the Niger Delta Basin Development Authority and is a former Senior Special Assistant on Tourism to Bayelsa State.
Citing Kenya, Seychelles, and the Philippines, he said ocean literacy has already produced youth-led seaweed farms and marine small and medium enterprises. “Blue Education directly addresses youth unemployment by preparing students for emerging sectors,” he said.
With 71 percent of the Earth covered by ocean, Dr. Kiyaramo outlined three core imperatives to anchor the curriculum shift. The first is Survival Literacy. The ocean regulates climate, produces over 50 percent of global oxygen, feeds more than 3 billion people, and absorbs 30 percent of CO₂.
For African students, he said, knowledge of tides, mangroves, and plastic pollution is critical. That knowledge supports communities to manage floods, fishery decline, and public health risks linked to degraded coastal systems.
The second imperative is Jobs and Wealth Literacy. The global Blue Economy exceeds USD 2.5 trillion, and Africa’s maritime and coastal sectors already employ millions in fishing, shipping, ports, boat building, tourism, and offshore energy.
Integrating ocean science into schools will build a pipeline of marine engineers, aquaculture technicians, ocean data analysts, and port managers, he argued. That pipeline, he added, connects classrooms directly to coastal industry.
The third imperative is Citizenship and Justice Literacy. Oil spills, illegal fishing, and coastal erosion are governance issues, not only environmental ones. Students grounded in ocean science can interpret Environmental Impact Assessments, demand accountability, and participate in decision making, in line with SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.
Dr. Kiyaramo also lamented that SDG 14: Life Below Water remains the least funded of the Sustainable Development Goals. “Schools are the fastest and most cost-effective channel to close that gap,” he stated.
His Royal Majesty Ogiame Atuwatse III, CFR, the Olu of Warri and chief host, said the ocean frontier “redefines a region’s potential and can transform the status quo.” He described himself as custodian of a people, a culture, and their environment.
“While we want our lives transformed by the Blue Economy, our environment must not pay the price,” the monarch said. He outlined a vision that links a Green Economy to the Blue Economy and the Orange Economy, to benefit current and future generations.
By investing in mangrove forests, he said, the region can protect ecosystems, create livelihoods, and build resilience across the Niger Delta. “Now is our moment to lead and show the world that unity of purpose delivers growth that uplifts both people and environment,” he added.
Chief (Dame) Ebiyemi Ojijala Omatseye, Executive Chairman of the Warri Blue Economy Development Initiative, described the summit as a call to action. She said the gathering is a platform to chart a sustainable path to prosperity through the Blue Economy and paid tribute to HRM Ogiame Atuwatse III for positioning Warri as a hub for growth and innovation.
The summit communiqué resolved that Blue Education will produce graduates with “Blue Minds,” students who see the sea as opportunity, not waste. “If we teach Mathematics for the economy and Civic Education for democracy, we must teach Ocean Science for survival,” it declared, urging School Boards and Ministries of Education to act without delay to move students from classroom to coastline.
