Free2Blue Niger Delta has launched a $250 billion blue economy initiative to unlock inclusive growth and create over 2.5 million sustainable jobs in the region. It positions the Niger Delta as a major untapped economic frontier, capable of advancing Nigeria’s $2 trillion economy goal while restoring degraded ecosystems.
Victor Wilkinson Agih, Global Director of Free2Blue Africa, stated that targeted investments in blue economy industrial parks, coastal tourism, fisheries technology, marine logistics, and wetland-based clean energy can transform the region’s coastal assets into drivers of large-scale economic renewal. He emphasized that with the right partnerships and investment, the Niger Delta can rebuild investor confidence and move beyond challenges of insecurity and institutional fragility.
Kabiru Idris Momodu, Regional Coordinator, highlighted the community focus, noting the initiative turns local knowledge into tangible opportunity: “We are transforming that knowledge into jobs, dignity, and measurable climate action.
”Senator Ireti Heebah Kingibe, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women Affairs, linked wetland protection to national interest, stating that backing women and youth with tools and training helps meet climate commitments while creating local opportunity.
Launched on World Wetlands Day, the campaign champions a people-powered approach to restoring mangroves, protecting creeks, and creating livelihoods. It responds to years of ecological strain by reconnecting restoration with prosperity.
Anchored in multiple Sustainable Development Goals, the initiative blends science with traditional knowledge, operating on the principle that community-led conservation creates jobs. Key targets include mobilizing 900,000 Blue Stewards, training 900,000 Eco-Marshals, and restoring up to nine billion mangroves by 2035. It also aims to generate 2.5 million green-blue jobs in aquaculture, eco-tourism, clean energy, and waste recovery, while distributing clean cookstoves and supporting creek-based enterprises through community Eco-Citizen Zones.
