Luanda: The African blue economy could reach revenues of 650 billion US dollars by 2063, declared Matthias Naab, regional director of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) for Africa, this Friday in Luanda. Addressing a debate on the African Blue Economy Week (ABEW 2026) taking place in Luanda, the UN official said this growth will be possible through the continent's capacity, which has 39 exclusive economic zones, seas, rivers, and lakes capable of generating positive revenues.
According to Angola Press News Agency, Naab highlighted that Africa has 38 coastal countries, representing 64% of its land, capable of creating 49 million jobs and thus indirectly supporting about 78 million people within the African Union's (AU) Agenda 2063. The strategy combines the entry into force of the African Blue Economy Charter and the Agreement on the Law of the Sea Treaty.
For the UNDP official, projects such as those in Benguela (Angola), Namibia, and South Africa demonstrate how to create the principles of the Blue Economy for a program around 6,800 km of coastline shared simultaneously with coastal African states. He reported that three priorities were advanced: the integration of integrated ecosystem infrastructures, the mitigation of financial gaps, and the empowerment of women who generate 60% of fisheries markets.
Agenda 2063 is the African Union's 50-year strategic plan to transform the continent into a peaceful and prosperous global power, focusing on seven fundamental aspirations of inclusive development, regional integration, and good governance. The event, which takes place under the motto "Political Leadership for the Transformation of the Blue Economy in Africa", aims to move from strategy to concrete actions.
