MOMBASA, Kenya — The Pan African Vision for the Environment (PAVE) has called for stronger inclusion of West African youth in the blue economy, presenting a strategic framework at the 11th Our Ocean Conference held in Mombasa from June 16 to June 18.
The conference, hosted for the first time on African soil, convened global leaders, marine scientists, policymakers, and civil society actors to advance binding commitments toward ocean sustainability.
PAVE leveraged the platform to advocate for localized, youth-driven approaches to marine governance, positioning young people as key drivers of economic growth and environmental protection across West Africa’s coastal regions.
A major highlight of the organisation’s participation came during the Scientific and Research Pre-Conference Symposium, where its Senior Programmes Manager, Victoria Ujunwa Aghaji, unveiled the organisation’s proposal titled “West Africa Youth Blue Economy Value-Chain Advocacy, Awareness and Local Capacities Development Project.”
In her presentation, Aghaji stressed the persistent exclusion of coastal youth from maritime policy and economic opportunities, noting that sustainable ocean development cannot be achieved without their active participation.
“We can’t really talk about a sustainable blue economy in Africa if we continue to leave our youth out of the conversation around policy, technology, and economic opportunities,” she said.
She described the proposal as a practical roadmap designed to equip young people with skills in marine conservation, sustainable fisheries, and emerging opportunities within the maritime value chain.
The initiative also targets critical environmental challenges such as overfishing, marine pollution, and coastal erosion driven by climate change, while aiming to transform vulnerable youth populations into ocean stewards and green entrepreneurs.
The presentation drew interest from international development partners, sparking discussions on scaling grassroots-driven solutions across the region.
During the main conference, PAVE’s delegation, led by its President Anthony Akpan, engaged in high-level consultations, advocating for stricter enforcement of marine protected areas and greater inclusion of youth-led civil society organisations in national maritime policies.
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The organisation’s participation underscored the growing role of African civil society in shaping global environmental discourse and policy implementation.
As deliberations from the conference continue to shape global ocean governance, PAVE’s youth-focused blueprint is emerging as a viable model for translating international commitments into tangible socio-economic benefits for coastal communities in West Africa.
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