Nation
FCTA Transform Fisheries Sector To Cash Cow
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) in Abuja has restated its commitment to transform the fisheries sector to become a cash cow for farmers in the territory and the national economy.
The Mandate Secretary for the FCTA Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, Malam Abubakar Ibrahim, made the pledge at the commemoration of the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture (IYAFA) in the FCT.
He said: “UN declared 2022 as the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries (IYAFA) with the objective of drawing global attention to the important role that small-scale fish farmers and fish workers play.
“They are very crucial in improving human well-being, food security, poverty eradication and in the sustainable use of natural resources.
“Member nations are expected to use the occasion to show commitment and take practical actions to support and promote fishery activities.
“The event we are therefore witnessing today is consistent with that worthy declaration as well as the theme of the event which is Building a Global Safety Net for Small-scale Artisanal Fisheries & Aquaculture”.
Ibrahim, therefore, expressed readiness of the secretariat to continue to advocate and pursue the implementation of innovative programmes that would help in enhancing effective utilisation of the rich water bodies that abound in the FCT.
He said that fish was a very important agricultural product that was largely consumed due to its rich nutritional and medicinal values.
Ibrahim added: “It is therefore not a surprise that the sector is growing at an alarming rate as more and more Nigerians engage in fish production not just for the nutritional value, but economic benefits associated with it.
“It is estimated that a very large percentage of Nigerians, mostly youths venture into fisheries production annually.
“While, this scenario would have been seen as a positive development, the sad narrative is the fact that more than 90 per cent of these farmers still operate at subsistent and small-scale levels”.
He, however, said fish farmers in Nigeria lacked the professional expertise and investable funds to enable them acquire quality inputs required to help them transit easily from household to commercial production.
This is with the view to bridging the yawning gap between demand as well as supply and reduce the huge foreign exchange that was spent on fish importation.
Ibrahim said: “These are some of the issues that the programmes of the Secretariat are aimed at addressing.
“The story of Fisheries Development in the FCT is one that is characterised by steady growth and improvements in terms of production capacity, quality processing and access to markets and competitiveness
“Part of the strategies that we have adopted is to encourage local fish farmers organise themselves as a body so that they can more easily benefit from the various fisheries support programmes of the Secretariat.
“So far, over 400 fishery cooperative groups have registered with the secretariat, and we have been working closely with the various Fishery Associations.
“They include: Cat Fish Farmers Association of Nigeria, (CAFAN) to promote diversification into other fish varieties’.
Ibrahim recalled that in 2022, the secretariat organised series of workshops to promote Tilapia production, as well as on the utilisation of locally sourced materials for feed formulation which is cost efficient.
He added: “It is worth knowing that the establishment of the FCT Fish Farm Estate in Bwari is designed to be an all-inclusive facility that offers services that are in line with global best practices.
“Even though operations at the Estate are not yet of the expected standard, the Secretariat has been taking measures to address issues of water supply, electricity and access roads.
“I can assure you that with the pace of infrastructural development taking place at the Estate, operations will take off soon”.
Similarly, the secretary said in 2021, as part of the pet project of the FCT Minister of State, Dr Ramatu Aliyu, the secretariat constructed the FCT Aquaculture and Allied Trades Centre for Youth and Women at Kuka village in Kwali Area Council.
He stated that the centre was established to train women and youths in modern fish production techniques.
“It may interest you to know that after the first harvest in which the Minister of State took part in November 2021, more residents have been trained.
“They are currently engaging in fish production in different parts of the FCT with their products sold in markets within and outside the FCT.
“In October of 2022, the FCT Administration through the Secretariat provided assorted fishery inputs worth over N60 million to fish farmers in the FCT.
“The inputs which were sold at subsidized rates to farmers are being utilised and is providing the needed impetus for fish production in the FCT.
“This input support programme has received the approval of the Administration to be an annual event”, he said.
Earlier, the secretariat’s Director of Administration and Finance, Malam Ishaq Sadeeq, called for urgent actions by stakeholders to restrategise and adopt new approaches that would help to enhance fish production in the FCT.
“We believe if the enabling environment is put in place, FCT has the capacity to produce fish that can effectively meet not only the local demands, but even beyond the frontiers of the FCT.
“Our desire in the FCT Administration is to transform the Fisheries sub-sector into one that can create jobs for our teeming youth population so that they can earn income and improve their socio-economic well-being”, he said.
Also, the Director of Fisheries of the secretariat, Ifeoma Okek, described lack of training, among others, as the major challenges facing the growth on Fisheries in the FCT.
The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has commemorated the 15th anniversary of the release of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Environmental Assessment Report on Ogoniland, reaffirming its commitment to restoring the environment and improving the livelihoods of affected communities.
In a statement signed by the Project Coordinator, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, to commemorate the anniversary, HYPREP described the anniversary as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s environmental restoration efforts, noting that the project has made remarkable progress in implementing the recommendations of the landmark UNEP report released on August 4, 2011.
The UNEP report had revealed extensive oil pollution across Ogoniland, severe environmental degradation, and serious public health risks resulting from decades of petroleum operations. It also recommended an initial $1 billion fund to commence the cleanup of the affected communities.
According to HYPREP, the Federal Government formally launched the Ogoni clean-up in 2016, while the Project Coordination Office was established in 2017 to drive the implementation of UNEP’s recommendations.
Zabbey said the current administration has continued to prioritise the project under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Providing an update on the cleanup, the Project Coordinator disclosed that 30 of the 65 contaminated sites identified by UNEP have been fully remediated, while work is ongoing at several medium- and high-risk locations. It also stated that more than 1.5 million mangrove seedlings have been planted as part of what it described as the world’s largest restoration of oil-degraded mangroves, with over 1,000 hectares of shoreline already rehabilitated.
Zabbey further revealed that 49 Ogoni communities have been connected to potable water schemes through multiple water projects and booster stations aimed at providing safe drinking water across the region.
In the health sector, he said the 100-bed Ogoni Specialist Hospital in Kpite and the 43-bed Cottage Hospital in Buan are nearing completion, adding that several existing health facilities have been upgraded with modern medical equipment, while five ambulances have been donated to improve emergency healthcare services. The Project Coordinator also disclosed that a three-year human health biomonitoring study is being conducted in collaboration with the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
On economic empowerment, Zabbey stated that the Project has created more than 8,000 direct jobs and trained thousands of Ogoni youths and women in various vocational and technical skills, including software development, cybersecurity, aviation, commercial diving, seafaring, mechatronics, and creative arts. The project also reported awarding scholarships to more than 1,000 students, providing grants to small businesses, and supporting persons living with special needs through skills acquisition programmes.
The statement further highlighted ongoing legacy projects, including the Ogoni Power Project and the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration, which it said is about 96 per cent complete. HYPREP also welcomed the recent designation of the Ogoni Wetland as a Ramsar Site of International Importance and pledged to continue promoting biodiversity conservation and sustainable management of the ecosystem.
Marking the anniversary, Zabbey said the progress achieved over the past 15 years demonstrates the collective commitment of government, development partners, stakeholders, and local communities to restoring Ogoniland. He called for renewed collaboration to sustain the cleanup effort, promote environmental sustainability, and support the long-term development of the region. 3