Imperatives of reforms in import-dependent fishing sector
01 April 2025 |
3:48 am
Despite the critical roles the fisheries sector plays in the country’s food and nutrition value chain and, by extension, food security, the country has been dependent on the importation of fish to meet the growing need for protein.
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While Nigeria boasts of a vast potential in fisheries and aquaculture, it has remained heavily reliant on imports to meet its domestic consumption. Although the government has initiated policies to boost local production and reduce reliance on imports, such have yet to yield impactful results due to seeming apathy in the implementation process. JOKE FALAJU writes on the urgent need for the government to match words with action to address challenges confronting fish production in the country.
Despite the critical roles the fisheries sector plays in the country’s food and nutrition value chain and, by extension, food security, the country has been dependent on the importation of fish to meet the growing need for protein. This is reflected in the country’s spending of $2.86 billion on fish importation in the last four years.
Reports from international trade statistics indicated that the importation of frozen fish, excluding fish pellets, gulped about $876 million in 2020, $703 million in 2021, $680 million in 2022, and $606 million in 2023.
The data published in Trend Economy further revealed that in 2023 alone, Nigeria imported 25 per cent of its fish demand, valued at $152 million, from Chile. The Netherlands followed this figure with a share of 18.1 per cent at $109 million. The country also imported fish valued at $80 million from Faroe Island (with 13.2 per cent of overall imports). Meanwhile, about 9.25 per cent of the imports valued at $56 million were from Ireland.
Some other countries from which Nigeria imports fish are Korea, Russia, China, Norway, Mauritania, and Germany. Ironically, while Nigeria continues to spend its scarce foreign exchange to improve the economies of other countries through importation, fish farmers have sustained the expression of their frustration over the government’s apathy in tackling myriads of challenges confronting fishermen in the country.
From low income, high operating costs, limited access to credit, and water pollution to climate change, Nigerian fishermen may never meet the country’s fish demand without the required intervention of critical stakeholders, especially the government.
They have also identified overfishing, illiteracy and gullibility, health risks, outdated fishing gear, poor boat maintenance, and the prevailing insecurity situation across the country as some of their challenges. Sadly, the combination of these factors has contributed to shooting the country to the 7th largest fish importer in the world.
According to a non-profit research and innovation institute, World Fish, Nigeria produces between 1.1 million to 1.2 million metric tonnes of fish yearly, with 36 per cent coming from marine catch, 36 per cent from inland waters catch, and 28 per cent from aquaculture.
As Africa’s largest fish consumer, Nigeria’s demand stands at 3.2 million metric tons annually. Unfortunately, its domestic production only meets about 40 per cent of the required figure. The high feed cost has taken catfish – the commonly produced fish by farmers, beyond the reach of many Nigerians.
Kwara State fish farmers, for instance, have blamed the country’s inability to produce its consumption requirement on high prices of fish farming inputs such as nets, vessels, fish feeds, and fish seeds. A significant factor was the lack of cold storage facilities to reduce post-harvest losses.
Similarly, the aquaculture sector has suffered neglect despite pockets of private sector investment in the sub-sector. Despite the country’s potential to generate an annual revenue of $296 billion, as the World Aquaculture Society projected, create millions of jobs, and reduce pressure on the naira, the fishing and seafood industry remains largely untapped.
While there are minimal efforts by the government to support the artisanal fishermen, the Fisheries Department, when it was under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, was known for granting licenses to industrial fishermen (mostly foreigners) who fish on Nigerian waters and diverted the harvest to their respective countries.
Beyond the importation of fish, the preservation process to protect consumers from harm was also a factor. A former Minister of Agriculture, who is now the President of the African Development Bank, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, once raised the alarm that importers were using formalin (a chemical used in preserving bodies in the mortuary) to preserve fish from decay.
Hence, in 2023, the federal government launched a four-year strategic plan called the National Aquatic Animal Health Strategy (NAAHS). The initiative, scheduled to span 2023 to 2027, was aimed at improved and safe fish production in the country.
Other goals of the initiative include minimising the negative impacts of aquatic pathogens, protecting human health, and boosting the resilience of the country’s marine and terrestrial ecosystems.
While the project was not targeted at boosting fish production, the extent to which the four-year plan has gone in promoting the international trade of aquatic animal species, such as aquaculture fish, shrimps, and water snails, cannot be ascertained. Yet, establishing the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the consequent drafting of the Fisheries Department for the ministry for better visibility and quality support is a welcome development.
The Minister, Mr Gboyega Oyetola, has since pledged commitment to ensuring Nigeria becomes a net fish exporter. To achieve this, he said the ministry was embarking on various initiatives tailored towards fisheries management, boosting investment in fisheries and aquaculture development, improving post-harvest infrastructure, promoting innovation, leveraging technology, and fostering multi-stakeholder collaborations.
At a Validation Workshop on Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy organised by the World Fish in collaboration with the International Food Policy and Research Institute (IFRPRI), the minister underscored the government’s dedication to bridging fish supply gaps while fostering economic inclusion and sustainability.
He added that collaborative efforts with international bodies such as the World Fish and IFPRI will position Nigeria’s fisheries and aquaculture as a leading agricultural value chain.
The minister, who reiterated the significance of the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy of Nigeria (2025–2029), informed that its overall goal was to meet the rising domestic demand
“The draft Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy aims to bridge Nigeria’s fish supply gap by enhancing access to essential inputs like fish feed and fingerlings, improving infrastructure for processing, storage, and transportation, promoting sustainable fishing practices, empowering small-scale fishers with training, technical support, and financing, as well as, encouraging private sector investment in aquaculture,” the minister stated.
The objectives of the 2025 to 2029 fisheries and aquaculture policy include an increase in aquaculture production to 1.3 million metric tons, boosting of artisanal and industrial fisheries output, reduction of post-harvest losses by 50 per cent, enhancement of fish consumption, job creation, as well as, fostering of climate-resilient and eco-friendly practices.
According to World Fish Foresight Model projections, Nigeria faces a widening fish supply-demand gap. This, the institute stressed, was exacerbated by limited growth in marine capture fisheries and import restrictions.
“While aquaculture and artisanal fisheries remain critical, the nation’s heavy reliance on catfish farming is insufficient”, the body added. The Country Representative, of World Fish, Nigeria, Dr. Sunil Siriwardena, speaking at a recent workshop, emphasised the need for a science-based policy to guide development.
“Fish is vital for poverty reduction and food security but Nigeria’s per capita fish consumption remains low at 11.2 kg. With population growth projected to reach 263 million by 2030, an additional 752,000 metric tons of fish would be required to maintain current consumption levels,” Dr Siriwardena stated.
He also highlighted regional disparities in fish consumption, noting that underdeveloped cold room supply chains limit distribution from the southern fish-producing regions to northern states.
A Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist at IFPR, Adetunji Fasoranti, stressed that Nigeria’s economic reliance majorly on oil necessitated diversification into agriculture, including fisheries and aquaculture.
“These sectors hold immense potential for employment, enhanced food security and poverty reduction,” Fasoranti said. Interestingly, the proposed fisheries and aquaculture sector policy plan for the next five years is to allocate 30 per cent of its budget to infrastructure development, including integrating fisheries into water management and ecosystem rehabilitation, constructing or renovating landing sites, harbours and jetties, developing cold storage and processing facilities while improving transport and distribution systems.
Another 30 per cent of the budget, the policy highlighted, would be dedicated to research, innovation, and technology, focusing on water productivity, fish stock management, disease control, feed formulation, research, and real-time data systems.
The plan is to further allocate 20 per cent of the budget to capacity building, skills development, and scholarships while regulatory measures will take 11 per cent of the budget to strengthen frameworks and institutions, enhance surveillance and combat illegal fishing.
Also, market development and promotion will account for eight per cent to support market infrastructure, market campaigns, and produce diversification, while the financial support and incentives will provide credit access, subsidies, and grants to boost private sector participation.
Meanwhile, amidst this policy, the Artisan Fishermen Association of Nigeria (AFAN), is urging the federal government to prevail on multinational oil giants operating in the South region to put an end to the environmental degradation and pollution that is going on in the Niger Delta.
The representatives of AFAN from the five Niger Delta States – Ondo, Edo, Bayelsa, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom states that spoke recently in Benin City, Edo State, called for an end to the continuous degradation of their environment by oil exploration and other harmful effects of the activities of oil companies in the area.
According to them, these activities have not only destroyed their main source of livelihood but have also posed serious health hazards to the flora and fauna of the area.
A former Director of Fisheries, Mr Tunji Abioye, applauded the government for its renewed commitment to improving fish production. He emphasised the need for the implementation of the fisheries policy to transform the sector.
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