Deficit gap in fish production worries Fed Govt

By Gbenga Omokhunu, Abuja

Nigeria is producing only 1.1 Metric Tonnes (MT) of fish, while the total demand for fish in the country is 3.6 MT, it was learnt.

Director, Federal Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture of the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Ime Umoh disclosed this at an Empowerment Congress organized by Catfish Farmers Association of Nigeria (CAFAN) in Abuja.

The situation, Umoh said calls for aggressive investment in fisheries to boost the economy and encourage export adding that the country is leaving a deficit of about 2.5MT to be bridged by importation.

He said the Federal Government is set to bridge the deficit gap in fish by enhancing an increase in domestic fish production through youth and women empowerment programme that will also help to eradicate restiveness associated with unemployment.

Umoh, who was represented at the occasion by Assistant Director of the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Saliu Abdullahi said, fisheries and aquaculture sector contribute significantly to the economy of Nigeria through employment opportunities, foreign exchange earnings, income generation and provision of raw materials for industries.

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The sector, he said generates 10 million jobs for the country

He added that, the Federal government is ready to collaborate with CATFAN for better productivity and also encourage them to harness opportunities from Federal Government  Agricultural Loan programmes such as NIRSAL anchored by Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for farmers to increase production and cushion the effect of Covid-19 pandemic.

He, however, stated that, the challenges and difficulty experienced in managing fish farms,  marketing fish products and the enormous cost of fish feed is putting pressure on the sector.

The recently ratified African Continental Free Trade Area and our fish market, he said present new opportunities that can also help in solving some of the issues associated with marketing and fish farming.

Also the Director of Fisheries,  Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA),  Mrs.  Ifeoma Okeke, who was represented at the occasion by Mr. Jonah Dabit said, the administration has established Fish Estate in Bwari  and Kwali that will be replicated in all the Area Councils.

She said: “The idea of the Fish Estate is to boost fish production in FCT. Acquiring land in Abuja being the Capital of Nigeria became difficult for people who wanted to go into fish farming, the fish farmers applied and got land , those farmers that registered with us benefited when the allocation was granted .”