Oyetola Reveals Nigeria's 2.2m Tonnes Fish Production Gap

Adegboyega Oyetola, Nigeria's Minister of Agriculture, announced that the country has an annual fish production deficit of 2.2 million metric tonnes. He stated that Nigeria's fish requirement is approximately 3.6 million metric tonnes, while domestic production is only about 1.4 million metric tonnes.

Oyetola made these remarks on Wednesday in Abuja during the High-Level Roundtable on Scaling Sustainable Catfish Value Chain Transformation, organized under the Fisheries and Aquaculture for Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (FISH4ACP) programme. He emphasized that the production shortfall presents a significant investment opportunity that could drive economic growth, enhance food security, and create jobs.

Oyetola highlighted that Nigeria is Africa's second-largest aquaculture producer and a leading producer of farmed African catfish. He identified critical requirements for sustainable industry expansion, including access to quality fingerlings, affordable feed, and modern infrastructure.

He also called on financial institutions to develop suitable credit arrangements for fish farming enterprises, addressing challenges such as high feed costs and inadequate facilities.