Stakeholders in the agricultural sector, on Thursday in Abuja, launched the African Catfish Value Chain to address the challenges in its farming and boost productivity.
The Representative of UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Fred Kafeero, during the launch of the flagship programme, themed: “FISH4ACP”, said the project was an opportunity to reiterate FAO’s commitment to a blue transformation of the catfish sub-sector.
Kafeero said FISH4ACP” was a global fish value chain development programme, set up by the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), being implemented by the FAO, and funded by the EU and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
“Nigeria is a very important and strategic member state in the development. Nigeria is the world’s largest producer of African catfish, with an estimated annual production of one million tonnes (in 2021), worth around 2.6 billion dollars.
“Additionally, Nigeria has an estimated 285, 000 producers, of which small-scale farmers represent over 60 per cent. The catfish value chain itself offers employment to about one million people.
“This data, according to the value chain, followed the analysis conducted by FISH4ACP and the FMARD (Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development), which underpins the strategy we are launching today,” he said.
Kafeero noted that the strategy would reduce harm to human health, and lessen the burden on the environment, through the introduction of cleaner smoking technologies.
Frank Okafor, who represented the International Partnership Officer of the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Urszula Solkiewics, said the African Catfish Strategy, developed under the Fish4ACP Programme, reflected stakeholders’ commitment to supporting sustainable and inclusive growth in the fisheries sector.
“The EU and the German Government, have long recognised the importance of investing in the fisheries sector, both as a means of livelihood for communities, and as a contributor to the overall economic growth of the continent.
“Through the Fish4ACP Programme, we aim to strengthen the capacities of African countries to sustainably manage their fisheries resources, enhance the competitiveness of the sector, and foster regional cooperation.
“By supporting the African Catfish Strategy, we strive to address the challenges faced by catfish farmers and entrepreneurs in Nigeria and beyond,” Solkiewics said.
The Permanent Secretary, FMARD, Dr Ernest Umakhihe, represented by the Director of Special Duties at the Ministry, Fausat Lawal, said Fish4ACP Initiative aimed to ensure economic, social, and environmental sustainability of the fishery and aquaculture value chains.
Umakhihe said the ministry was supporting fish farmers’ efforts at boosting the catfish sector due to its potential for job creation and widening business opportunities.
The National President, Fisheries Society of Nigeria (FISON), Dr. Ebinimi Ansa, said the catfish value chain played a vital role in meeting the growing demand for quality fish products, generating employment opportunities, and contributing to Nigeria’s food security and economic growth.
Ansa said the launch of the programme marked a significant milestone in the collective efforts to harness the potential of sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, by focusing on the value chain approach.
