WTO’s Investment Call Exposes Gaps in Africa’s $300 Billion Blue Economy

Africa accounted for just 2% of global aquaculture production in 2024, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Egypt produced 66% of the continent’s farmed aquatic animals, with Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda and Zambia among the other leading producers. African aquatic animal exports reached $8.4 billion, compared with $184 billion globally.

The African Union estimates Africa’s blue economy at approximately $300 billion annually, covering fisheries, aquaculture, maritime transport, tourism and other water-based industries.

Seafood production remains concentrated in a handful of countries, while processing facilities, refrigerated storage and export infrastructure require further investment.

On November 5, World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala called for stronger partnerships to finance marine infrastructure, technology and skills.

She identified seafood processing, certification and access to international markets among the priorities for coastal economies seeking to expand their marine industries.

Aquaculture Investment Expands Across Selected African Markets

Olam Agri began construction of a $70 million integrated feed mill in Nigeria’s Delta State on November 4, 2026. The facility will produce poultry and aquaculture feed, with the fish-feed line designed for 300 tonnes daily. Production is scheduled to begin in 2027, expanding feed supplies for commercial fish farmers in southern Nigeria.

Zambia’s Senanga Aquaculture Expansion Project recorded its first harvest in July after receiving K10.8 million through the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission.

The project has installed 56 floating cages on the Zambezi River, with expected production exceeding 300 tonnes per cycle. More than 400 cooperative members participate in the programme, which supplies the domestic market.

Private aquaculture investment has established larger production operations on Lake Kariba. Yalelo reports annual tilapia output exceeding 30,000 tonnes, supported by more than 200 floating cages, a hatchery capable of producing 50 million fingerlings annually and its own feed mill. The company distributes fish across Zambia and also serves regional markets.

Access to commercial credit remains restricted for smaller producers in Egypt. A World Bank assessment found that many fish farmers depend on financing from feed suppliers and traders because banks consider aquaculture lending risky.

Limited insurance coverage and uncertain land-tenure arrangements further complicate borrowing for farm expansion and production equipment.

African Seafood Exporters Face Processing and Cold Storage Constraints

Morocco exported 25.3 billion dirhams in seafood products in 2025. Frozen fish and fillets contributed 4.05 billion dirhams, while frozen fish shipments reached 368,909 tonnes.

Canned fish exports stood at 101,785 tonnes, reflecting the country’s established processing industry. Fish supplies declined during the year, however, as coastal and artisanal landings fell 15% to 1.13 million tonnes, including an 18% reduction in small pelagic catches.

Mauritania’s fisheries industry exports approximately 614,000 tonnes annually, valued at $744 million, according to its Investment Promotion Agency.

Nouadhibou serves as the main centre for fish processing and exports. Limited access to preservation equipment continues to affect artisanal fishing operations, restricting the handling and storage of catches intended for commercial markets.

Senegal faces infrastructure requirements at fishing landing sites, where ice production, refrigerated storage and transport are needed to preserve catches before processing.

These facilities are particularly important for artisanal fisheries supplying domestic traders and export businesses. Financing for additional industrial processing capacity remains difficult to assess without confirmed project allocations and construction schedules.

Across these markets, processing capacity depends on reliable fish supplies and the facilities available to preserve catches after landing.

Morocco has an established export-processing industry, while documented refrigeration and handling constraints remain relevant to investment requirements in Mauritania and Senegal.

African Seafood Exporters Confront International Market Access Costs

Morocco supplied 91% of the European Union’s imported sardines by volume in 2024, equivalent to 45,674 tonnes, according to the European Market Observatory for Fisheries and Aquaculture Products.

Morocco and Mauritania were also major suppliers of frozen octopus to the EU in 2025, when imports of the product reached €1.22 billion.

Seafood entering the European market must meet sanitary, traceability and certification requirements. In Mauritius, the Competent Authority Seafood registers processing establishments, inspects consignments and issues export health certificates. Exporters must maintain approved facilities and documentation covering product handling and food safety.

Senegal secured a ¥1.542 billion Japanese grant to establish a fisheries analysis laboratory at Diamniadio. The facility will provide microbiological and chemical testing equipment to support seafood inspections.

Japan’s International Cooperation Agency identified inadequate public testing facilities as a constraint on Senegalese seafood exports. Implementation is scheduled to continue through November 2027.

The African Development Bank supplied laboratory equipment to the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Bureau of Standards in August 2025 under its PROFISHBLUE programme.

The equipment supports fish-product testing following a regional assessment that identified shortages of laboratory resources and qualified personnel across Southern African fisheries markets.

At BlueInvest Africa in Cape Town on November 2–3, 2026, 24 marine business projects selected from applications across 38 African countries were presented to prospective investors.

The European Commission initiative supports investment preparation and introductions to financiers. The event did not establish that the participating businesses had secured funding for their proposed projects.

African Blue Economy Projects Face New Financing and Delivery Milestones

The World Bank approved $240 million in March 2026 for coastal development in Benin and Mauritania, including $28 million in private capital.

A proposed credit guarantee under the programme could unlock up to $20 million in lending for Mauritanian fish-processing businesses. The lending remains prospective, with financing yet to reach the intended processors.

Zanzibar’s Investment Promotion Authority is seeking $5 million in private investment for a fish-processing and landing facility at Fungurefu.

The proposed partner would finance processing equipment, cold-chain expansion and operations, while the government would provide factory infrastructure and vessels. A feasibility study has been completed, but private financing has not been confirmed.

Cameroon’s Ze Ideal Group is seeking FCFA 63.9 billion for its PROAQUI aquaculture development, which targets annual production of 45,090 tonnes at full capacity.

The project is divided into four phases, with initial investment requirements estimated at FCFA 17.3 billion. The company is targeting financial close for the first phase by mid-2027, when the proposed expansion faces its next major financing decision.