Βlue Economy Connect (BEC) is a youth-led initiative championing youth opportunities, innovation, & leadership in advancing Africa’s blue economy (ocean, water, and related sectors).
We believe that, in an enabling environment & with the right empowerment, the youth can build the capacity to meet their own needs & the evolving demands of the sector: innovating & leading the sustainable transformation.
WHAT WE DO
Capacity Building
Providing training, workshops, webinars, and mentorship programs to equip youth (especially students) with industry-relevant knowledge & skills (check 'Events')
Environment & Community Impact
Delivering the design & implementation of projects & solutions, addressing key challenges & gaps (informed by research & extensive stakeholder engagements). See 'Projects'.
Opportunity Sharing
Through our Opportunities Thursday initiative, we have shared over 300+ jobs, scholarships, internships, grants (check 'Opportunities').
Innovation & Entrepreneurial Support
Spotlighting youth-led innovations, providing (access to) needed support, including collaborating on designing key industry-relevant innovations.
Networking & Collaboration
Championing peer-to-peer, cross-sectoral, and early-career-to-expert, and overall, youth-to-industry connections & co-creation.
Policy Advocacy
ThrStrategic advocacy through generating, translating, and scaling our insights to inform improved policy and practical reforms.
SPOTLIGHT
CAPACITY BUILDING
We kicked off our BEC campus nodes Initiative with KNUST, UCC, & UG, engaging over 600 students, professors, & experts: https://shorturl.at/K2Vli
Community Impact
BEC mobilized over 100 women & youth for a 2-day beach cleanup at Dzita, supporting the District’s efforts in promoting coastal tourism: https://shorturl.at/C68Vp
Policy contribution
BEC has participated in both the National Consultation on the Blue Economy Strategy & the launch of the UN Ocean Centres-Ghana: https://url-shortener.me/DKHE
EVENT
BEC led the Youth Session of Aquaculture Ghana ’25, mobilising 100s of youth & innovators, the FAO, Worldfish, KIC, & AAORIA: https://shorturl.at/joOUS
WEBINAR
BEC organized a webinar with ECOP Program, ft. WEF, AAORIA, and AU, to help demystify the Blue Economy: https://shorturl.at/Bqej4
International Representation
BEC represented at the UNFCCC COP30 in Brazil & contributed to side events on Ocean & Water: https://shorturl.at/4DPE5
PARTNERSHIPS & ENDORSEMENTS
At BEC, we’re proud to collaborate with individuals & organizations that share our vision for youth empowerment and/or building a resilient & inclusive blue economy. Get in touch 
UN OCEAN CENTRES
A multi-stakeholder ocean governance platform led by the UN Global Compact & Lloyd’s Register Foundation.
Chamber of Aquaculture
CoA advances aquaculture development & private sector growth in Ghana.
Fisheries Commission
The FC is oversees all national fisheries & aquaculture development.
AAORIA
BEC collaborate on AAORIA’s Blue Intergenerational Programme & Coastal Resilience Project.
OPJEB
BEC is OPJEB’s Ghana representative for projects under the WASOP Call.
