Luanda — The African Union (AU)’s Director of Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment, Hersen Nyambe, stated on Wednesday (22,) in Luanda, that the continent’s blue economy currently generates over 298 billion dollars in annual value, with projections pointing to USD 405 billion output by 2063.
Presenting the “State of Africa’s Blue Economy 2026 Report” during the Third Africa Blue Economy Conference, which opened on Wednesday (22) in the Angolan capital, the official highlighted that this sector employs more than 40 million people, with a possible increase to over 41 million jobs by 2030.
He also put forward the target of reaching more than 69 million jobs by 2063.
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Despite this growth, the director underscored the difficulties faced by the continent, highlighting the gap in the capacity to move from policymaking to practical implementation.
He also mentioned that another obstacle lies in the reliance on external funding from international agencies.
According to the official, many blue economy initiatives are funded by external agencies, a fact that demands greater involvement from African governments.
“We must do more to generate income and jobs,” he argued. Hersen Nyambe recalled that the continent has five major marine ecosystems, with a special emphasis on the Benguela line, which is crucial for fish production and maritime transport.
He noted that an estimated 200 million people depend on fish produced in these ecosystems and 12 million draw their livelihoods from them, in a context where 90% of continental trade is carried out by sea.
The Third Africa Blue Economy Conference, which ends on Saturday (25th), is taking place under the slogan “Political leadership for the transformation of Africa’s blue economy”, with the aim of moving from strategy to concrete actions and taking a qualitative leap.
