‘Blue Economy Has Nexus With Digital Economy’

The Country Lead and ‘Blue Economy Has Nexus With Digital Economy’
Programme Adviser, Global Digital Access Programme, UK Government, Mr. Idongesit Udoh,  has revealed that the  Nigeria blue economy’s future has a close relationship with the  blue and digital economy development of the country.
Udoh said this at the African Maritime Art Exhibition (AMAE) with the theme: “The Convergence: Maritime Meets Information and Communication Technology (ICT)”, in Lagos over the week.
Udoh urged the Federal Govemment on strategic investment in innovations that would bring about the sustainability of the blue economy.
He noted that both joined together was actually the future that would help the country realise the potential of the Blue Economy.
Udoh spoke on the topic: “ICT Disruption for the Sustainability of the Blue Economy”.
According to him, the investment in innovations will bring about the resilience and efficiency of the blue economy and every other positive things to come.
“ICT is an enabler and there are a lot of areas using ICT to aid growth in the blue economy for transportation, tourism and others.
“There is surveillance using Artificial Intelligence, internet of things, cyber security, documentation and storage cloud computing”, he said.
He noted that the creation of a Ministry dedicated to Marine and Blue Economy was a step in the right direction.
“The challenges seen in the sector such as infrastructure, capacity building, finance, funding, is clear that these challenges must be cleared to drive the adoption that is needed”, he said.
He said to aid technology adoption, there was the need for capacity building, exposing key policy makers on possibilities within the ICT sector and how to shore up infrastructure capacity to actually accommodate the level of ICT adoption that was needed.
The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority,  Mr. Mohammed Bello-Koko,  noted that the lack of port community system in Nigeria had made the nation’s ports the most inefficient port in Africa.
Bello-Koko, represented by the Port Manager, Lagos Port Complex, Apapa, Mr. Charles Okaga, said a review with ports in Ghana, Benin Republic and Togo was done and this showed a drastic drop-in dwell time of cargo from 21 to three days.

“This was achieved because they have a functional port community system. For the success of the system, it also require the Power Holding Company of Nigeria to ensure consistent power supply in the port”, he said.

Earlier, the  Founder, African Maritime Art Exhibition (AMAE), Mrs. Ezinne Azunna, noted that the aim of the conference was to help stakeholders find ICT solutions that would drive safer, swifter, more secure and cost effective operations and innovations.

“AMAE uses photograph, textile art, paint, sculpture and other motifs/subjects to tell stories and support caused around the blue economy.

“It remains the singular exhibition in Africa built around the portraiture of the blue economy and its causes, using aesthetic and semiotic elements”, she said.