Kenyan entrepreneur, conservationist, and IUCN Patron of Nature Humphrey Kariuki has called for greater investment and stronger partnerships to support Africa’s regenerative blue economy, saying coastal communities must be placed at the centre of ocean conservation efforts.
Kariuki made the remarks during the 17th Monaco Blue Initiative (MBI) and the 2nd Blue Economy and Finance Forum (BEFF), which took place on May 27, 2026, in Monaco, following the official opening of the Forum by His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco.
Speaking during the panel discussion “Governing and Financing the Ocean in a Fragmented World,” Kariuki urged governments, investors, and development institutions to scale support for African-led marine conservation and coastal development initiatives, including the Great Blue Wall Initiative. He spoke alongside representatives from the World Bank, GIST Impact, and the International Advisory Panel on Biodiversity Credits on how global financing systems can better support nature-based solutions and regenerative ocean economies.
Kariuki said Africa’s oceans and coastal ecosystems are major economic lifelines that support livelihoods, tourism, fisheries, food security, and local enterprise across the continent. The global ocean economy is estimated to generate more than US$2.5 trillion annually, making it one of the world’s largest economic sectors.
In Africa, the blue economy currently supports nearly 50 million jobs and contributes close to US$300 billion annually, according to African Union and UNDP estimates. The sector is projected to support 57 million jobs and contribute more than US$405 billion to Africa’s economy by 2030 if backed by sustainable investment and stronger regional cooperation.
“Along Africa’s coastlines, healthy marine ecosystems support livelihoods, food security, tourism, and local businesses,” said Kariuki. “When these ecosystems decline, communities lose opportunity and livelihoods, but when restored and properly managed, they can become the foundation of a regenerative blue economy that benefits both people and nature.”
Kariuki emphasised that local communities must be recognised as custodians of marine ecosystems and directly included in conservation and restoration efforts.
“If conservation excludes communities, it will not succeed,” he said. “Coastal populations must benefit through jobs, enterprise opportunities, restoration work, sustainable tourism, aquaculture, and blue carbon initiatives.”
The Great Blue Wall Initiative, championed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and regional partners, seeks to conserve and restore marine and coastal ecosystems while creating sustainable economic opportunities for communities across Africa’s coastline.
The initiative is currently implementing pilot seascapes across Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Mozambique, Madagascar, and Comoros, with planned expansion into additional African coastal states between 2026 and 2030.
Kariuki also called on the private sector to support investment models that balance economic growth with long-term environmental preservation.
“Investment into Africa’s oceans cannot only be extractive and profit-driven,” he said. “It must also contribute to restoration, preservation, and long-term economic benefits for the communities and ecosystems that sustains industries.”
He concluded by calling for stronger collaboration between governments, investors, conservation organisations, and local communities to advance a shared “One Ocean Partnership” for the global coastal future.
