Frank Edima Attends Stakeholders Conference on Agriculture

Today I joined stakeholders at a stakeholders’ conference organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO Nigeria) and Nigeria UKPACT to discuss economic opportunities in sustainable ecotourism, aquaculture, carbon trading, and other nature-based livelihoods.

It was an important room.
For me, it wasn’t only about the conversations around policy frameworks, public-private partnerships, and investment pathways in the nature economy, the room confirmed why we started the Bakassi International Fish Festival in the first place.

When we founded the festival in 2022, the goal was never just about annual celebrations only. 

The deeper vision hasn’t even unfolded fully. As we progress, it will begin to unfold as we are gradually repositioning a fishing community that had long been viewed through the lens of displacement and hardship, while also spotlighting its real assets, its waters, its culture, its people, and its economic potential.

Listening to conversations today about sustainable fisheries, community-led ecotourism, blue economy opportunities, and nature-based livelihoods, it became even clearer that the future of development will be built around communities like Bakassi.

Places where nature, culture, and enterprise intersect.

What many global institutions are now designing through policy frameworks, our communities have lived with for generations. The work ahead is to structure it better, protect it, and connect it to larger economic systems.

That is where partnerships matter.

The real opportunity is not just funding projects. It is designing systems where local communities can participate meaningfully in the nature economy, whether through sustainable aquaculture, ecotourism, conservation incentives like the much talked about carbon trading, or value-chain development.

For me, today’s conversation was a strong reminder that culture can open doors, but structure must be put in place to sustain these opportunities. 

Platforms like the Bakassi International Fish Festival can serve as more than events. They can become entry points for development conversations, investment attention, and long-term community transformation.

Beyond these conversations, the networking opportunity was high level as I interfaced with one of the organizations who donated smoking kiln to three fishing sites in Bakassi courtesy of the work we do with the festival initiative. I was quite elated to hear how they discovered our work through social media posts on X and LinkedIn especially. Moments like this can be heartwarming and motivating at the same time. Thanks to the board, organizing team, stakeholders, volunteers and everyone who is making this possible. We have only just got started. 

As I reflect on how today was well spent in high level meetings and value exchange, I am led to remind my fellow sustainability advocates, community development professionals, changemakers, and everyone interested in giving back to their communities, that the future of impact will belong to those who can connect community realities with global conversations.

We must learn to translate what exists locally into opportunities the world can recognize, support, and invest in.

That is the work.

Frank Edima
#frankedima #Strategist

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