The Nigerian Institution of Marine Engineers and Naval Architects (NIMENA) has urged the Federal Government and private sector to adopt a unified national innovation agenda after an assessment rated Nigeria’s maritime and energy innovation ecosystem at 43.75 out of 100.

The assessment, developed in collaboration with global innovation platform Plug and Play, classified the ecosystem as “Emerging”, citing skills gaps, weak industry collaboration and difficulties translating research into commercially viable technologies.

The report, known as the Maritime and Energy Ecosystem Capability Model (ECM), provides a roadmap for strengthening indigenous technology development, attracting investment and creating skilled jobs by connecting government, industries, universities, investors and startups.

Speaking at the launch, NIMENA National Chairman, Engr. Eferebo Sylvanus, said fragmented innovation initiatives were limiting Nigeria’s ability to harness its maritime and energy potential.

He called for a coordinated framework that would align existing programmes with clearly defined national priorities.

“While national startup acceleration programmes across the public and private sectors are laudable, working in isolation limits our collective impact,” Sylvanus said.

“To transform Nigeria’s maritime and energy sectors into a global innovation hub, we must move past fragmentation and unite behind a coherent, structured framework.”

The assessment applied Plug and Play’s methodology across five dimensions: capital, network, society, initiatives and regulations, examining access to finance, institutional collaboration, talent development, innovation infrastructure and the regulatory environment.

Although regulations emerged as the ecosystem’s strongest dimension, network and society recorded the weakest performances, pointing to gaps in institutional partnerships, specialised skills development and talent retention.

The report identified three major challenges: the difficulty of converting Nigeria’s youthful population into industry-ready talent, the disconnect between corporate needs and the technical readiness of local startups, and inconsistent implementation of policies and funding mechanisms.

According to the assessment, these challenges reinforce one another, as startups struggling to secure commercial contracts find it difficult to attract investment, while inadequate funding limits their capacity to develop technologies that meet industry requirements.

To address the gaps, NIMENA recommended prioritising practical skills development and increasing the adoption of indigenous technologies across maritime and energy value chains.

It identified remote condition monitoring, digital twins and virtual asset management as areas where stronger local capabilities could expand Nigeria’s participation in technology-driven industrial activities.

The report also benchmarked Nigeria against Kenya, Egypt, South Africa and Singapore, examining their approaches to investment mobilisation, institutional coordination, talent development and innovation support.

Among its key proposals is the establishment of a Maritime and Energy Innovation Hub to connect local technology developers with corporate challenges, pilot projects, investors and international partners.

A phased five-year roadmap outlines how the proposed hub could evolve into a national platform for coordinating innovation, with the ultimate goal of moving Nigeria’s ecosystem into the “Advanced” category by 2030.

Other recommendations include dedicated funding for maritime and energy startups, stronger investor engagement, clearer regulatory pathways, supervised testing environments for emerging technologies and a Maritime Skills Activation Framework linking education and professional certification to industry needs.

The report proposes measuring progress through tangible outcomes, including increased commercial contracts for startups, higher investment in maritime ventures, greater graduate participation in technology enterprises and stronger collaboration between public and private institutions.

Sylvanus said NIMENA would formally transmit the report to the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, and the National Assembly.

He said the document would serve as a policy advisory resource to support government planning and national development.

NIMENA urged policymakers, industry leaders, academic institutions, investors and development partners to engage with the findings and support their implementation.

The institution said coordinated action would be critical to turning research into market-ready solutions, equipping young Nigerians with relevant technical skills and converting the country’s maritime and energy resources into sustainable economic opportunities.