Blue Facility - West Africa Sustainable Ocean Programme (WASOP)

WASOP supports the development of a sustainable and inclusive blue economy and the preservation of marine resources. It is addressing the challenges of overfishing, biodiversity conservation, climate change and sustainable development in West Africa. Pillar II of WASOP, dedicated to the development of a sustainable and inclusive blue economy, is part of the European Union's Global Gateway strategy, which aims to establish balanced and respectful connections between people and their environment. In West Africa, where oceans and coastal areas are both a source of wealth and an area of vulnerability, this pillar has an ambitious goal: to promote the emergence of an economic model based on innovative, inclusive, and climate-resilient practices. The idea is to view the blue economy as a lever for shared prosperity and food security, while ensuring the protection of the marine and coastal ecosystems on which local populations depend. Pillar II aims to mobilize all stakeholders in the region, including public institutions, the private sector, researchers, civil society organizations, and technical and financial partners. It adopts an integrated approach that combines governance, resource conservation, and the promotion of sustainable economic activities. Its implementation is based on a set of concrete mechanisms designed to support policy formulation, technical support, pilot project financing, and the creation of cooperation networks. These mechanisms include the "Blue Facility, "a service platform designed to meet the specific needs expressed by national and regional institutions in West Africa. It will be mobilized to provide tailored technical assistance, support the design of strategies and regulatory frameworks, and strengthen local skills through targeted training. It will also facilitate the selection of regional and international experts and offer support in mobilizing financing, directing stakeholders towards existing financial mechanisms and promoting the structuring of bankable projects. The Blue Facility (BF) thus aims to create an environment conducive to investment in the blue economy, by reducing technical and institutional barriers

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Funded by the European Union, the West Africa Sustainable Ocean Programme (WASOP) aims to promote integrated and sustainable management of marine and coastal resources in West Africa, while fostering inclusive and competitive economic growth. The programme is implemented in partnership with ECOWAS and the 13 coastal countries of West Africa: Benin, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo. WASOP is structured around three pillars: Strengthening ocean governance Supporting a sustainable blue economy Restoring marine and coastal ecosystems WASOP is part of the Global Gateway objective to support public-private partnerships in favour of sustainable natural resource management and nature-based solutions. At the heart of the Global Gateway 360 approach – based on connectivity, sustainability and infrastructure development – WASOP mobilises all sectors related to oceans, seas and coasts, including both offshore and onshore activities, to ensure a coherent and comprehensive response. Aligned with the African Union’s Agenda 2063, the EU’s Ocean Pact and the Seascape approach, the programme promotes a sustainable blue economy as “Africa’s future”, focused on local economic development and ocean governance while preserving marine and coastal ecosystem The pillar 2 on sustainable blue economy, implemented by Expertise France, aims to: Establish a technical assistance facility (the Blue Facility) available to public and private, national and regional institutions to: Strengthen regional and national blue economy policies, regulatory frameworks and institutional capacities. Facilitate private sector participation in sustainable ocean industries and access to sustainable financing mechanisms to promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth. Create and coordinate thematic networks of practitioners to: Mobilise stakeholders and promote partnerships through thematic coalitions (e.g. finance, entrepreneurship in the blue economy). Raise awareness of the potential of the sustainable blue economy. Capitalise on and share good practices (webinars, web portal, training, etc.). Fund pilot projects in the field of sustainable blue economy through a €10 million call for proposals, supporting local initiatives with strong potential for replication or scaling up and encouraging multi-stakeholder, multi-sector and multi-scale partnerships.