The Nigerian Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to reducing the country’s heavy reliance on fish imports by dramatically scaling up domestic aquaculture production.
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, said the Federal Government was fully committed to ending Nigeria’s fish importation by aggressively boosting local production.
Speaking yesterday at a high-level consultative meeting with fisheries cooperative groups in Abuja, the minister said the Federal Government was also fully committed to supporting the fisheries and aquaculture subsector through policy, technical support and financial inclusion.
Oyetola outlined a bold vision aimed at transforming the nation’s aquaculture sector into a powerhouse of food security, employment and export competitiveness.
Declaring that “Nigeria must chart a new course towards self-sufficiency in fish production”, Oyetola said the government would scale up domestic fish production, reduce dependency on imports and reposition the sector for sustainable growth.
The meeting, convened by the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, brought together leaders and members of major fisheries and aquaculture associations, including the Fisheries Cooperative Federation of Nigeria (FCFN), Tilapia Aquaculture Developers Association of Nigeria (TADAN), Catfish Farmers Association of Nigeria (CAFAN), Women in Fish Farming and Aquaculture and the Practicing Farmers Association of Nigeria.
Oyetola announced that the ministry was intensifying efforts to support women and youth in the fishing sector, stating that start-up grants and other empowerment initiatives are already in the pipeline. He said this move aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises youth engagement and economic diversification.
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During the interactive session, participants raised a wide range of pressing challenges currently facing the sector. These included overfishing, environmental degradation, lack of access to affordable finance, post-harvest losses, inadequate cold storage infrastructure, poor transportation and market linkages, low youth involvement, multiple taxation by local government authorities and the rising cost of imported fish feed.
Responding to these concerns, the Minister gave strong assurances that the Ministry is already engaging stakeholders, both local and international, to tackle the identified issues head-on.
He revealed that discussions are ongoing with the World Bank to secure financial support for fish farmers and that the Ministry will be collaborating with the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC) to ensure affordable and accessible insurance coverage for fish farmers across the country.
Oyetola said the ministry is also in talks with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources to replicate the successful aquaculture model at the Oyan Dam in other parts of the country, pointing to integrated planning and inter-ministerial cooperation as key pillars of the strategy.
On his part, the Director of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Wellington Omoragbon, highlighted the importance of strengthening institutional frameworks and adopting enterprise-driven models to enhance productivity and attract funding.
He praised the initiative as “timely and long overdue,” expressing hope that the consultative approach would lead to actionable results.