SEREC warns drug trafficking, fish deficit threaten Nigeria’s Blue Economy
The Sea Empowerment & Research Center (SEREC) has identified rising drug seizures and declining domestic fish supply as issues demanding urgent national attention in Nigeria’s maritime sector.
The Head of Research of SEREC, Dr Eugene Nweke, made the disclosure this on Monday in Lagos.
Nweke said the two issues were shaping Nigeria’s maritime and blue economy landscape and require coordinated policy response from government and stakeholders.
He stated that reviewed in the first-half 2026 developments in line with their mandate to provide evidence-based research and strategic interventions for Nigeria’s maritime industry and blue economy growth.
The centre of research noted with concern the increasing volume of illicit narcotics intercepted at Nigerian seaports by the Nigeria Customs Service and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
He said the seizures reflect improved intelligence, better inter-agency collaboration and operational efficiency, but also show that criminal syndicates are exploiting maritime routes for drug trafficking.
Nweke warned that using Nigerian ports as transit corridors for narcotics could damage the country’s trade reputation, trigger stricter inspections, delay cargo clearance, and raise Nigeria’s global maritime risk profile.
He added that drug trafficking through maritime channels fuels money laundering, organised crime, corruption and insecurity, which threaten national economic stability and investor confidence in port operations.
To address this, he said the centre called for a shift from seizure-based enforcement to intelligence-led prevention using AI-driven cargo profiling and wider deployment of non-intrusive cargo scanners at ports.
The Centre also urged stronger container tracking, deeper collaboration among Customs, NDLEA, NPA, NIMASA and security agencies, plus full integration of the National Single Window for better risk management.
On fisheries, Nweke said that review showed local fish production still falls far below national demand despite investments by the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy in recent years.
"The supply deficit is met largely through imports, creating a food security challenge and a missed opportunity for jobs, rural livelihoods, forex conservation and non-oil exports.
"SEREC identified high feed costs, poor financing access, weak cold-chain infrastructure, post-harvest losses, IUU fishing, and climate pressures as key constraints limiting growth of the fisheries sector,"
"We recommend accelerated investment in commercial aquaculture, hatcheries, modern processing, cold-chain logistics, fisheries financing, and stronger enforcement against illegal fishing to close the supply gap.
He urged government to strengthen maritime governance, port security, trade facilitation, fisheries development and private sector participation to make Nigeria a secure and competitive maritime nation.
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