Fish sale at a Nigerian market.

Aquaculture sought to be boosted to fish import

NIGERIA
Thursday, December 06, 2018, 02:30 (GMT + 9)

The Federal Government of Nigeria urges farmers to develop aquaculture in a bid to reduce the expense on fish imports amounting to USD 984 million and grow the national economy.

In order to contribute to this aim, Senator Fatai Buhari in conjunction with the Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research (NIOMR), Lagos, trained over 100 youths and women selected from Ogbomoso North and South local governments as well as Oriire and Olorunsogo local governments during a week-long training in aquaculture production and fish post harvest technology, The Nation reported. 

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Senator Buhari explained that the empowerment was aimed at giving the beneficiaries a means of livelihood.

For his part, NIOMR Director Dr. Gbola Akande listed the socio-economic benefits of aquaculture, since the demand for fish in Nigeria is about 2.66 million tonnes annually, whereas total domestic production hovers around 0.7 million tonnes.

“There is a deficit of 1.96 million tonnes partly augmented by importation of fish of about 1.01 million tonnes worth over USD 984 million annually – a huge waste on scarce foreign exchange, hence the urgent need to increase domestic fish production,” Akande stressed.

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