Rivers
Don Urges Fish Farm Establishment To Boost Economy
A university Don, Professor Fayeofori Gbobo Bob-Manuel, has called on the Federal and State Governments to focus more attention on Fisheries and Aquaculture value chain through the establishment of large scale fish farms all over the country because of its potential economic benefits to the nation.
Professor Bob-Manuel made the call while delivering the 43rd inaugural lecture at Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE) on the topic, “Blue Ecosystem Resources: Unharnessed Black Gold for Sustainable Development in Nigeria”, on Thursday.
He also called on Local Government Council Chairmen to redirect the focus of the youths from oil bunkering to fish farming, and oil companies operating in the country on the need to establish fish farms as well.
The Professor of Fisheries and Aquaculture further encouraged Nigerian Universities to grow fish as part of their integrated Agricultural programme in order to make the University community self-sufficient in its fish needs.
He revealed that despite the abundance of water bodies, Nigeria spent 30 billion naira importing fish in the last quarter of 2020, with about 1.2 billion US dollars’ worth of fish imported into the country annually, describing the development as “a serious drain on the country’s scarce foreign exchange.
Noting that if concerted effort is not made by both government and the private sector to improve domestic fish production, fish importation would continue to be on the increase, leading to greater drain on foreign exchange.
According to him, “Nigeria is endowed with blue ecosystem resources which lie unharnessed under its waters, oceans, seas, rivers, lakes, and creeks.
“If the resources in the nation’s waters are properly harnessed they could give the economy a boom and make Nigeria rank among the fastest growing economies in the world without oil and gas.
“Fisheries and aquaculture make up three to four percent of the country’s GDP, contributes to fulfilling the population’s nutritional requirements, accounts for about fifty percent of the supply of animal source food and an important source of essential dietary nutrients.”
He, however, noted that despite the potentials for fish production through aquaculture, artisanal and inland fisheries, domestic fish production still falls far below the demand.
According to the inaugural lecturer, increased human activities through industrialisation, urbanisation, population growth and overall man’s greed to over exploit mother nature have created a serious threat to all kinds of life through pollution, which has become a global problem.
He affirmed that since all other life forms depend directly or indirectly on water, aquatic pollution is often regarded as a great concern to man.
Prof. Bob-Manuel lameted that the exploration and exploitation of crude oil and its related activities in the Niger Delta have impacted negatively on the aquatic fauna in the region, constituting a threat to the biodiversity of fishes.
The effects, he observed, “is that local indigenous people who do not have improved standards of living, are suffering from the serious damage to their natural environment”.
He estimated that a proper clean-up of the region, including full restoration of swamps, creeks, fishing grounds and mangroves could take twenty five years and is bound to affect fisheries and aquaculture production because of the limitation the situation places on harnessing the potentials in the sector.
Nigeria, according to Professor Bob-Manuel, ranks 160 out of 166 countries with regards to progress towards meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, hinting that five million more rural poor and the low income group in Nigeria live in poverty and suffer from malnutrition.
The University Don, therefore, called for a ban on the importation of fish, while advocating massive production of fish for domestic consumption and export.
He also made a case for fresh water and brackish water fish culture to grow fish in the rural areas where there is a ready market to save a lot of foreign exchange.
Additionally, he said, there should be “a substantial increase in fish supplies needed to bridge the demand and supply gap in coming decades with the use of modern technology and improved farming practices to support sustainability of production”.
In his speech, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Okechuku Onuchuku, commended the inaugural lecturer for stressing the need to use natural resources to grow the economy and improve the general well-being of the people by focusing more on the fisheries value chain.
He also thanked him for advocating proper management of the environment in order not to destroy the growth of the future economy while trying to meet up today’s needs.
Also speaking, the Acting Registrar, Mr Donald Okogbaa, lauded Professor Bob-Manuel for the expository lecture and for doing justice to the topic, adding that the points raised should be a food for thought for everyone.
By: Sogbeba Dokubo
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament says it will adopt Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance informed deliberation, optimised legislation, and strengthen parliamentary oversight.
The regional bloc made the remark recently at the Second 2025 Extraordinary Session which held in Port Harcourt.
The theme of the session was, “Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Parliamentary Efficiency, Ethical Governance and Development in the ECOWAS Region.”
Fourth Deputy Speaker of the Parliament, Mr Billay Tunkara, while closing the session on AI efficiency, said lawmakers would deploy appropriate tools to strengthen internal regulations.
He said the AI revolution was irreversible and had become a paradigm shift, redefining the region’s economies, societies and governance.
According to him, AI had moved from the realm of science fiction to a powerful global force driving major advances across sectors.
“Therefore, the use of AI in the ECOWQS Parliament will result to informed deliberation, optimised legislation and strengthened oversight.
“It offers us the means to make our work more efficient, transparent and closer to citizens’ expectations.
“So, it is up to us, parliamentarians to appropriate these tools, to train our collaborators and to adapt our internal regulations to accommodate this new intelligence”, he said.
Meanwhile, the Amanyanabo of Okochiri Kingdom in Rivers State, HRM King Ateke Tom, has pledged support for government efforts to sustain peace in the Niger Delta.
He gave the assurance when he received a delegation of the ECOWAS Parliament, led by its Speaker, Mrs. Hadja Ibrahima, at his palace in Okochiri, Okrika Local Government Area.
Tom, a former Niger Delta agitator, said he once took up arms to draw government’s attention to the plight of people in the oil-rich region.
“The agitation brought the Federal Government’s focus to our challenges.
“It was the agitation that created the opportunity for our people to be remembered, and for Goodluck Jonathan to become President”, he said.
He stated the struggle highlighted environmental degradation, poverty, and hardship endured by the Niger Delta people despite oil profits from the land.
The traditional ruler added that he later played a key role in disarming agitators and facilitating peace in the region.
“Today, the benefit of that peace is becoming evident”, he noted.
Tom urged the ECOWAS Parliament to use its platform to advocate for the development of the Niger Delta region.
The President-Genera (PG)l of Ogoni Youth Federation, Mr. Legborsi Yamaabana, has praised President Bola Tinubu’s administration for the effort to resolve the dispute that stalled oil exploration and production in Ogoni land.
The Tide’s source recalls that oil exploration and production were suspended in Ogoniland in the early 1990s with Shell forced out by 1993 due to persistent unrest by the locals’ spear-headed by the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP).
The source further notes that the dispute involved the Federal Government, oil multinationals and Ogoni people.
Yamaabana in a statement issued to journalists by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Hycienth Ana, in Port Harcourt, said Tinubu’s government had been able to resolve the dispute.
He described the ongoing peace process as sincere, timely, and commendable.
Yamaabana noted that the resolutions reached hold great promise for addressing the longstanding challenges of poverty and unemployment in Ogoniland.
The PG, a former Federal House of Representatives aspirant for Khana/Gokana Federal Constituency, used the medium to commend Tinubu for the national honours to the “Ogoni four.”
“President Tinubu’s extension of recognition to these Ogoni thirteen is a long-awaited gesture of justice and inclusivity”, he said.
He further applauded the President for bestowing a national honour on renowned Ogoni rights activist, Mr. Ledum Mitee, describing the recognition as a befitting tribute to his contributions to the struggle for justice and equity.
Yamaabana said resuming oil operations in Ogoniland with fairness and environmental responsibility would be a landmark achievement for Tinubu’s government in Nigeria’s socio-economic history.
He also commended the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, Rivers Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and the Ogoni Dialogue Committee led by Prof. Don Baridam, for their roles in facilitating the dialogue.
The Ogoni youth leader reaffirmed commitment to supporting the federal government’s initiatives for economic growth and sustainable development in the area.
Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE) Rumuolumeni, Rivers State, has been declared the state winner of the ongoing National Campus Debate 2025.
Following this victory, IAUE will represent Rivers State at the zonal face-to-face debate competition, scheduled to take place from September 15 to 22, 2025.
The Director General of the National Orientation Agency, Mallam Lanre Issa Onilu, congratulated IAUE on its achievement and wished the university continued brilliance in the next phase of the competition.
A statement from the institution’s Public Relations Office said the debate competition, which focuses on the topic “Unity in Diversity: Designing National Identity in Nigeria’s Multicultural Society”, aims to strengthen youth engagement, promote education, and foster national values and dialogue among students.
The competition offers significant rewards, with the national winner set to receive ?50 million, while the first and second runners-up will take home ?30 million and ?20 million respectively.
According to the statement, the Dean, Faculty of Humanities, Professor Ibiere Ken-Maduako, and the Coordinator of IAUE Debate Council, who is also the Director, Ideas, Creativity, and Innovation, Professor Samuel Amaele, trained the team that made the University proud.
It furrher stated that the university’s achievement reflects its commitment to intellectual excellence, civic engagement, and nation-building.
By: Sogbeba Dokubo
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