FG sets up committee to cut Nigeria’s fish imports

The Federal Government has inaugurated a 17-member technical committee to address Nigeria’s fish production deficit, reduce the country’s dependence on fish imports and strengthen the fisheries and aquaculture value chain.

The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, inaugurated the Technical Committee on Accelerating Fish Production in Nigeria on Thursday in Abuja, charging members to transform recommendations from an earlier strategic roundtable into concrete, measurable and sustainable actions.

Oyetola said the committee was established to move beyond policy recommendations and develop a coordinated implementation roadmap capable of addressing the major challenges limiting domestic fish production.

He noted that fish remains an important source of animal protein for millions of Nigerians, while the fisheries and aquaculture sector provides livelihoods through production, processing, marketing, transportation and other related activities.

According to him, the gap between domestic fish production and national demand has implications for food security, household incomes and foreign exchange, making it necessary for the government to accelerate efforts to boost local production.

“Fish is an important source of animal protein for millions of Nigerians. The fisheries and aquaculture sector sustains livelihoods across production, processing, marketing, transportation and related services. However, domestic production remains substantially below national demand, with consequences for food security, household incomes and foreign-exchange resources,” Oyetola said.

The minister identified the high cost of production, particularly fish feed, inadequate access to quality fish seed and broodstock, weak fish health and biosecurity systems, post-harvest losses, as well as insufficient cold-chain and storage facilities as some of the major challenges confronting the sector.

He also listed limited access to affordable financing, gaps in research and innovation, weak data systems, inadequate standards and traceability, and insufficient market development as issues requiring urgent intervention.

Oyetola said the transfer of fisheries and aquaculture functions to the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy had provided a stronger institutional platform for addressing the challenges as part of the Federal Government’s broader blue economy agenda.

He reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to increasing sustainable domestic fish production, strengthening the fisheries value chain and progressively reducing Nigeria’s dependence on fish imports.

The minister recalled that the ministry, in collaboration with the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, held a strategic roundtable on October 29, 2025, focused on accelerating fish production in Nigeria.

He explained that the roundtable produced recommendations aimed at addressing production and value-chain constraints, adding that the newly inaugurated committee would assess the proposals and convert validated recommendations into a prioritised implementation roadmap.

“Your assignment is not to develop another policy or establish a parallel programme,” Oyetola told members of the committee.

He directed the committee to assess the roundtable report against the National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy, the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy, relevant legislation, existing government programmes and the statutory mandates of relevant institutions.

Oyetola further charged members to scrutinise each recommendation and determine whether it should be adopted, refined, integrated into existing frameworks, subjected to further study or set aside as unviable.

The committee is also expected to identify and map existing initiatives across the public, private and development sectors to strengthen proven strategies and prevent duplication in the deployment of limited resources.

The minister said the committee’s final report must contain a clear implementation roadmap and matrix outlining priority interventions, responsible institutions, timelines, indicative costs, funding options, performance indicators and required approvals.

“It should also identify credible opportunities for private-sector investment, public-private partnerships, development finance and other sustainable funding arrangements,” he said.

Oyetola urged members, drawn from government, academia, professional bodies, research institutions and industry, to approach the assignment with urgency, objectivity and a strong focus on measurable results.

He said the recommendations must be realistic, evidence-based and financially responsible, while delivering tangible improvements in fish production, job creation and food security.

The minister assured the committee of the ministry’s institutional support, expressing confidence that its work would provide a practical pathway for accelerating growth in Nigeria’s fisheries and aquaculture sector.

Speaking earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry and Chairman of the committee, Fatima Mahmood, said members would approach the assignment with a strong sense of responsibility.

Mahmood said the committee would thoroughly review the recommendations of the 2025 roundtable and translate them into practical interventions capable of delivering measurable results.

She added that the committee would collaborate with relevant government institutions, researchers, industry stakeholders and development partners to identify priority actions, address existing gaps and develop a realistic implementation roadmap.

A member of the committee and Professor of Fisheries at Lagos State University, Akintola Latunji, said the committee would work with relevant stakeholders to deliver its mandate and catalyse fish production across the country.

Members of the committee include Mahmood; the Director, Federal Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Abuja, Omoragbon Wellington; the Director, Federal Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Lagos Office, Garba Usman; the Director-General, National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Prof Ayo Omotayo; the Executive Director, Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research, Prof Sule Abiodun; Latunji; and Prof Sadiku Suleiman Omeiza of the Federal University of Technology, Minna.

Others are the Bayelsa State Commissioner for Marine and Blue Economy, Dr Faith Izibenua Zibs-Godwin; Technical Assistant to the Minister, Dr Charles Okaga; President, Fisheries Society of Nigeria, Dr Ebinimi Ansa; President, Catfish Farmers Association of Nigeria, Onoja Sunday; President, Fisheries Cooperative Federation of Nigeria, Mashi Gabriel Sani; President, Tilapia Development Association of Nigeria, Remi Ahmed; and Country Representative, WorldFish Nigeria, Dr Charles Iyangbe.

The committee is expected to submit its report within eight weeks.

The Federal Government had, in October 2025, identified a gap of more than 2.2 million metric tonnes between Nigeria’s annual fish production and its estimated requirement of 3.6 million metric tonnes.

The Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies had consequently agreed to develop a National Fish Production Acceleration Roadmap to guide investments and reforms in the fisheries and aquaculture subsector.

Oyetola had said domestic production met only about 38.9 per cent of the country’s annual fish requirement, leaving Nigeria heavily dependent on imports.

The government subsequently highlighted measures including the development of a Fisheries Bill and National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy, automation of fisheries operations and establishment of a Blue Data Bank, alongside initiatives designed to support youth and women involved in aquaculture.