Keffi: Nigeria’s aquaculture sector has positioned the country as the largest aquaculture producer in sub-Saharan Africa, with an annual production of approximately 500,000 metric tonnes of fish. Dr. Charles Iyangbe, Country Representative of WorldFish Nigeria, shared this information during the 40th anniversary celebration of the Fisheries Society of Nigeria (FISON) in Keffi, Nasarawa.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Iyangbe highlighted that the fisheries and aquaculture sector supports the livelihoods of more than 10 million Nigerians. Despite this, Nigeria faces a significant fish supply gap, with demand ranging from 3.6 to 3.9 million tonnes yearly, while local production stands at only 1.2 million tonnes. This deficit of 2.4 million tonnes is supplemented by imports costing the nation over 1.2 billion dollars annually.
The average fish consumption per Nigerian is 11.3 kilogrammes annually, which falls short of the global average of 21 kilogrammes. Capture fisheries face challenges such as overfishing, pollution, and environmental degradation, further straining the sector.
The country’s aquaculture industry confronts challenges like high costs and poor quality of fish feed and fingerlings, reliance on catfish, the influx of exotic species, technological gaps, and post-harvest losses. Despite these hurdles, Nigeria’s rich aquatic ecosystems, which include inland rivers, lakes, coastal lagoons, and the Atlantic shoreline, offer potential for expansion.
Iyangbe identified scalable solutions such as Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA), offshore cage culture systems, value chain innovations, and advanced breeding technologies. By harnessing science, policy, and partnerships, Nigeria could potentially bridge its fish supply gap and become a net exporter of fish and seafood, enhancing food security, job creation, and the blue economy.
WorldFish has impacted over 11 million people through improved livelihoods, nutrition, and ecosystem restoration, and indirectly influenced 50 million others via policy and research. As part of the CGIAR, WorldFish is committed to fostering the potential of aquatic foods to nourish people, boost incomes, and restore ecosystems.
The organisation operates in more than 20 countries across Asia, Africa, and the Pacific and has achieved breakthroughs such as the development of Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia (GIFT), affordable fish feed innovations, and climate-smart aquaculture systems. Iyangbe expressed optimism that science-driven and business-oriented strategies will sustainably transform Nigeria’s fisheries and aquaculture sector.
Globally, fisheries and aquaculture provide over 20 percent of animal protein for 3.3 billion people and support more than 60 million jobs directly, as reported by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO, 2022). Despite Africa’s growth in this sector, reliance on fish imports remains high, highlighting opportunities for expansion and investment.