Africa’s oceans, lakes and rivers are increasingly being recognised as economic assets rather than simply natural resources. From fisheries and aquaculture to coastal tourism and maritime trade, the continent’s blue economy is becoming an increasingly important source of food, employment, investment and regional development.
The scale of the opportunity is substantial.
READ ALSO: Zimbabwe’s Blueberry Boom: High-Value Agriculture Opening New Export Markets
The Food and Agriculture Organisation’s 2026 fisheries report notes that aquatic foods provide about 19% of animal protein consumed in Africa on average, yet the continent has the world’s lowest availability of aquatic animal foods per person. This gap highlights both a food-security challenge and a significant opportunity to expand sustainable production.
Aquaculture is emerging as one of the most promising areas.
Across the continent, countries are investing in fish farming, processing and value-chain development to increase domestic supply while creating opportunities for entrepreneurs and coastal and inland communities.
Nigeria provides one example. The three-year Asia–Africa BlueTech Superhighway project concluded in March 2026 after working to strengthen sustainable aquaculture and coastal livelihoods. Its final review brought together government agencies, research institutions, development partners, private-sector actors and coastal communities in Epe, Lagos State. The programme focused on innovation, inclusion and climate resilience within Nigeria’s aquatic food systems.
Southern Africa is also developing a more coordinated approach.
In 2025, Zambia and Zimbabwe launched the Lake Kariba Blue Economy Strategy and Investment Plan — the first strategy of its kind designed specifically around a transboundary inland waterbody in Africa. The plan focuses on fisheries and aquaculture, climate resilience, biodiversity and improved governance of the lake’s resources. Lake Kariba supports livelihoods and economic activity across both countries.
The economic potential is not limited to individual countries.
A $9.2 million African Development Bank-funded programme across 16 Southern African Development Community countries generated cross-border fish trade exceeding 500,000 tonnes over four years, while supporting jobs, food security and climate resilience.
This demonstrates how stronger regional fisheries systems can turn aquatic resources into engines of cross-border commerce.
West Africa is also receiving significant new investment. In March 2026, the World Bank approved $240 million for the first phase of the West Africa Coastal Areas Blue Economy and Resilience Programme. The initiative covers Benin and Mauritania in its first phase and is designed to strengthen blue-economy value chains while helping protect vulnerable coastal communities. It is expected to protect 530,000 people and catalyse 13,000 blue-economy jobs.
For smaller economies, the blue economy can be especially transformative.
In São Tomé and Príncipe, the African Development Bank approved a $21.9 million project to rehabilitate fisheries infrastructure and strengthen the country’s blue economy. The project is expected to directly benefit 30,000 people involved in the fish value chain and indirectly benefit another 100,000 citizens through improved food security and economic opportunities.
These investments are helping broaden the definition of the blue economy. It is no longer simply about fishing.
Aquaculture, seafood processing, cold-chain logistics, coastal tourism, maritime services and conservation are all part of an expanding economic ecosystem. Better infrastructure can allow fishermen and farmers to preserve products for longer, reach larger markets and earn more from their production.
There is also growing recognition that sustainability must sit at the centre of this expansion. Africa’s aquatic resources cannot support long-term economic growth if they are depleted. Stronger fisheries management, scientific research and climate-resilient production will therefore be essential.
The African Union is strengthening its scientific capacity through the African Union Network of Centres of Excellence in Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Biodiversity, which brings together universities, research institutions and technical centres working across the continent.
Africa’s blue economy is still developing, but its direction is increasingly clear. With stronger investment, regional cooperation and sustainable management, the continent’s waters can become a much larger source of food, jobs, trade and economic opportunity.
The next frontier may not only be on land. Increasingly, Africa is looking to its waters as part of the continent’s next chapter of economic transformation.
