Oyetola seeks to close 2MT deficit with fisheries bill, blue data bank

Adegboyega Oyetola, the minister of marine and blue economy, says the federal government is taking steps to close Nigeria’s over two million metric tonne (MT) fish deficit through policy reforms and digital systems to boost local production.

Speaking at a roundtable on accelerating fish production in Lagos, Oyetola said the government, in partnership with the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), is developing a National Fish Production Acceleration Roadmap to guide investment and reforms in the fisheries and aquaculture subsector.

Oyetola said the roadmap will be supported by new legal frameworks such as a Fisheries Bill and the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy.

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This will be in addition to ongoing digital reforms, including the automation of fisheries operations and the creation of a Blue Data Bank in collaboration with the World Bank’s PROBLUE programme.

Blue data banks track how much fish is being caught or farmed, where fishing boats are operating, and activities in ports and coastal areas.

Nigeria spends hundreds of millions of dollars annually importing fish to bridge its domestic supply gap, despite its vast inland and marine resources. Oyetola noted that Nigeria currently produces only about 38.9 percent of its annual fish requirement of 3.6 million metric tonnes, describing the country’s heavy dependence on imports as economically and environmentally unsustainable

Critics have said thaty a clear policy direction and better coordination across agencies could turn this around.

The minister said initiatives like the Green Money Project are already empowering youth and women in aquaculture through access to inputs and training.

Meanwhile, Ayo Omotayo, the director general of NIPSS, said the partnership would produce  policies that are “evidence-based.”