Oyetola Reacts To Group’s Allegation of FG Neglect

… Declares Policy Programme for Aggressive Local Production of Fishes, Vows to End Importation

BY GBOGBOWA GBOWA

Apparently reacting to a recent allegation of neglect of the fishing industry leveled against the federal government by the Tilapia Aquaculture Developers Association in Nigeria (TADAN), the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, His Excellency Adegboyega Oyetola has said that local fishing production is receiving priority attention.

This is even as the Honourable Minister has vowed to end Nigeria’s dependence on fish importation by aggressively boosting local fish production.

L-R: Representative of the  Tilapia Aquaculture Developers Association of Nigeria (TADAN), Mr. Hassan Mundu; Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr. Olufemi Oloruntola; Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, His Excellency Adegboyega Oyetola, CON; Acting President, Fisheries Cooperative Federation of Nigeria (FCFN), Mr. Mashi Gabriel Sani; Secretary, Abuja Women in Fish Farming and Aquaculture, Mrs. Ekomabasi Uwem and President, Catfish Farmers Association of Nigeria (CAFAN), Mr. Onoja Sunday Musa when Oyetola hosted an interactive session with fisheries cooperatives groups in Abuja on Wednesday.

The National Vice President TADAN, Nurudeen Tiamiyu had recently in a report sequel to a media interview lamented the dormancy of the Department of Fisheries under the Marine and Blue Economy Ministry.

The report by the Journal of Freight & Energy quoted Tiamiyu as saying that the fishing sub sector is yet to see the sort of traction programmed to build capacity and develop the industry.

“At the last stakeholders meeting, I asked the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola why the Department of Fisheries is being treated like an unwanted child in a family that wants to eat fish? The Department of Fisheries is not getting that kind of support to reach out to the farmers. So, for me, I have issues like many farmers. We have issues in having the Department under that ministry, and they are not flourishing.

“Nigeria still imports stockfish from Norway. What is the prospect of Nigeria being self sustenant through fishing? Authentic Nigerian cuisine. Unfortunately, we have people in government that are not looking deeply into issues. Now in Nigeria, we are importing $1.2 billion worth of frozen fish every year. Presently that’s almost N1.8 trillion. We’re actually taking N1.8 trillion worth of jobs outside” the TADAN Vice President said, adding:

“Nigeria needs at least 4 million metric tons of fish every year for nutritional needs. If you look at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) figure of 20 kilo thereabout per capita of fish consumption, we have a population of over 200 million. So, we need 4 million metric tons authentic Nigerian cuisine.”

However, speaking on yesterday, Wednesday, July 16, 2025 at a high-level consultative meeting with fisheries cooperative groups in Abuja, the Minister outlined a bold vision aimed at transforming the nation’s aquaculture sector into a powerhouse of food security, employment, and export competitiveness.

Oyetola according to a release signed by Dr. Bolaji Akinola, Special Adviser on Media and Communications, declared that “Nigeria must chart a new course towards self-sufficiency in fish production.”

This is even as the Minister emphasised that the Federal Government is fully committed to supporting the fisheries and aquaculture subsector through policy, technical support, and financial inclusion.

“We will scale up domestic fish production, reduce dependency on imports, and reposition the sector for sustainable growth,” he said.

The meeting, convened by the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, brought together leaders and members of major fisheries and aquaculture associations, including the Fisheries Cooperative Federation of Nigeria (FCFN), Tilapia Aquaculture Developers Association of Nigeria (TADAN), Catfish Farmers Association of Nigeria (CAFAN), Women in Fish Farming and Aquaculture, and the Practicing Farmers Association of Nigeria.

Oyetola announced that the Ministry is intensifying efforts to support women and youth in the fishing sector, stating that start-up grants and other empowerment initiatives are already in the pipeline. He said this move aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises youth engagement and economic diversification.

“Increasing youth participation in aquaculture is not only vital for food production but also a strategic solution to reducing unemployment,” the Minister said. “We are committed to ensuring that young people and women are not left behind in this transformation.”

During the interactive session, participants raised a wide range of pressing challenges currently facing the sector. These included overfishing, environmental degradation, lack of access to affordable finance, post-harvest losses, inadequate cold storage infrastructure, poor transportation and market linkages, low youth involvement, multiple taxation by local government authorities, and the rising cost of imported fish feed.

Responding to these concerns, Minister Oyetola gave strong assurances that the Ministry is already engaging stakeholders, both local and international, to tackle the identified issues head-on. He revealed that discussions are ongoing with the World Bank to secure financial support for fish farmers and that the Ministry will be collaborating with the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC) to ensure affordable and accessible insurance coverage for fish farmers across the country.

“We are also in talks with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources to replicate the successful aquaculture model at the Oyan Dam in other parts of the country,” he added, pointing to integrated planning and inter-ministerial cooperation as key pillars of the strategy.

“This meeting is not the end — it is the beginning of a sustained and transformative dialogue,” the Minister assured.

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr Olufemi Oloruntola, who delivered the welcome address, noted that the meeting was in fulfilment of commitments made by the Minister during the Ministry’s second-quarter citizens and stakeholders engagement held in Lagos on 3rd July. He reiterated the Ministry’s readiness to build enduring partnerships with cooperative societies to drive inclusive growth.

The Director of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Mr Wellington Omoragbon, also participated in the session and highlighted the importance of strengthening institutional frameworks and adopting enterprise-driven models to enhance productivity and attract funding.

Participants praised the initiative as “timely and long overdue,” expressing hope that the consultative approach would lead to actionable results. The meeting, described as robust and frank, ended with renewed optimism about Nigeria’s potential to become self-sufficient in fish production and a net exporter of fish in the near future.