The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has declared a bold commitment to end Nigeria’s dependence on imported fish.
In a high-level consultative meeting with fisheries cooperative groups held in Abuja, Oyetola unveiled a strategic plan to scale up local fish production and reposition the aquaculture industry as a driver of food security, employment, and export revenue.
“Nigeria must chart a new course towards self-sufficiency in fish production,” he said, affirming that the federal government is ready to back the fisheries and aquaculture subsector with robust policies, technical assistance, and financial inclusion.
“We will scale up domestic fish production, reduce import dependency, and reposition the sector for sustainable growth,” he added.
The meeting, organised by the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, brought together stakeholders from 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 Practising Farmers Association of Nigeria.
In line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Oyetola announced that the Ministry will focus on empowering women and youth in the fisheries sector.
He revealed that start-up grants and support programmes are in the pipeline to enhance inclusive growth.
“Increasing youth participation in aquaculture is not only vital for food production but also a strategic solution to reducing unemployment,” he said.
“We are committed to ensuring that young people and women are not left behind in this transformation.”
During the interactive session, participants shared a range of sector challenges, including overfishing, environmental degradation, a lack of affordable credit, post-harvest losses, weak cold storage facilities, poor transport and market linkages, limited youth engagement, multiple local government taxes, and high costs of imported fish feed.
Responding to these concerns, the Minister assured stakeholders that discussions are ongoing with both local and international partners to address these issues.
He also noted that negotiations with the World Bank are underway to secure financial support for fish farmers.
At the same time, collaboration with the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC) aims to provide accessible insurance coverage nationwide.
In addition, Oyetola disclosed plans to work with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources to replicate the successful aquaculture model at the Oyan Dam in other regions of Nigeria, signalling a push for inter-ministerial coordination.
“This meeting is not the end, it is the beginning of a sustained and transformative dialogue,” he said.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Olufemi Oloruntola, reaffirmed that the meeting fulfilled the promises made during the Ministry’s second-quarter citizens and stakeholders engagement held in Lagos.
He emphasised the government’s intention to foster partnerships with cooperative societies to drive inclusive development.
Director of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Wellington Omoragbon, also stressed the importance of enterprise-driven models and stronger institutional frameworks to boost productivity and attract investment into the fisheries sector.
Participants at the meeting described the initiative as “timely and long overdue,” expressing optimism that the renewed government interest in aquaculture will yield tangible results and move Nigeria closer to becoming self-sufficient in fish production.
