‘Nigeria Risks 1.9m Metric Tonnes Fish Deficiency’

A fisheries officer in the
Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), Mr Jona Dabit, has said Nigeria’s fish production is deficient by about 1.9 million metric tones.
Dabot stated this in Lagos, on Friday, during a presentation at a two-day national workshop on “Economic Transformation Through Agriculture.”
The Workshop according to The Tide was jointly organized by the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) and ICBS consult.
“Out of Nigeria’s present fish demand of about 2.7 million metric tones, the country is being faced with a deficiency of about 1.9 million metric tones.
He said the country has so far been able to satisfy only 800,000 metric tones of the people’s fish need.
“This is why we have continued to waste a lot of money on the importation of fish”, he said.
The fisheries officer urged farmers to redouble their investment in fish production even as he advised others to join in the business.
He said there was huge economic opportunities in the fish business that Nigerians were yet to explore.
Dabit further called on Nigerians to avail themselves of the opportunity of fisheries for technical and possible financial assistance to boost production.
“We should all develop interest in fish farming to become economically stable as well as produce enough fish for our consumption and export,” he said.
He said the country could not afford to be importing fish to the deteriment of the national economy.
“Nigerians need to know that fish farming is very cheap, interesting and rewarding to operate”, he said.
According to him, fish farms could be set up within individual compounds and every available space in the offices.