Environment
THE Pan African Vision for the Environment (PAVE) has called for greater inclusion of West African youths in the blue economy to promote sustainable ocean governance and economic development.
PAVE made the call at the 11th Our Ocean Conference held in Mombasa, Kenya, from June 16 to June 18, the first edition of the conference hosted on African soil.
The organisation used the platform to advocate youth-focused and community-based approaches to ocean conservation and maritime economic development across West Africa.
Speaking at the Scientific and Research Pre-Conference Symposium, PAVE’s Senior Programmes Manager, Victoria Ujunwa Aghaji, presented a proposal titled: “West Africa Youth Blue Economy Value-Chain Advocacy, Awareness and Local Capacities Development Project.”
Aghaji said the initiative was designed to address the exclusion of coastal youths from maritime governance and economic opportunities within the blue economy sector.
She said the project would strengthen grassroots awareness, advocacy and capacity development across coastal communities in West Africa.
“We cannot achieve a sustainable blue economy in Africa while leaving young people out of policy discussions, technology development and economic opportunities,” she said.
According to her, the proposal seeks to equip youths with practical skills for marine conservation, sustainable fisheries and participation in maritime value chains.
She noted that the initiative would also address challenges such as overfishing, marine plastic pollution and climate change-induced coastal erosion.
Aghaji said the project aimed to transform vulnerable coastal youths into ocean stewards and green entrepreneurs through targeted training and engagement.
She added that the presentation generated interest among international development partners seeking scalable, community-driven solutions from Africa.
Realnews Magazine reports that PAVE’s delegation, led by its President, Anthony Akpan, also participated in policy discussions during the main conference.
The organisation advocated stronger enforcement of marine protected areas and the inclusion of youth-led civil society organisations in national maritime development strategies.
PAVE said its engagement at the conference reflected its commitment to linking scientific research with grassroots action to advance sustainable environmental management in Africa.
It added that the proposed blue economy framework offered a practical pathway for translating global ocean commitments into local opportunities for West African youths.
Background to the 11th Our Ocean Conference
The 11th Our Ocean Conference (OOC) was held in Mombasa, Kenya, from June 16 to June 18, 2026, marking the first time the global ocean summit was hosted on African soil.
The conference brought together heads of government, policymakers, scientists, private sector leaders, civil society organisations and youth groups to discuss solutions to pressing ocean challenges.
The Our Ocean Conference was launched in 2014 by the former U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, as a platform for mobilising voluntary commitments to protect marine ecosystems and promote sustainable use of ocean resources.
Since its inception, the conference has generated thousands of commitments worth billions of dollars toward marine conservation, sustainable fisheries, climate action, marine pollution control, maritime security and the development of sustainable blue economies.
The 2026 conference focused on strengthening ocean governance, advancing the blue economy, combating marine pollution, addressing climate change impacts on coastal communities and increasing the participation of youth and local communities in ocean-related decision-making.
Kenya’s hosting of the event highlighted Africa’s growing role in global ocean governance and drew attention to challenges facing the continent’s coastal and marine ecosystems, including overfishing, plastic pollution, biodiversity loss and climate-induced coastal erosion.
F.O
Tags: Mombasa Kenya Our Ocean Conference PAVE