The government of Nigeria and Penang, Malaysia-based nonprofit WorldFish recently signed a hosting agreement in which the organization aims to build a country office in Nigeria, allowing the two to continue work on transforming the country’s aquatic food systems.
Through the new office, the two will continue working on improving nutrition, creating jobs, and supporting sustainable economic growth to improve livelihoods in the West African country.
“In the short time WorldFish has operated in Nigeria, it has forged ties of trust with the government and become a valuable partner by working with local entities,” WorldFish Director General Essam Yassin Mohammed said. “Nigeria has a huge and untapped potential to grow its aquatic food systems, and we look forward to further harnessing WorldFish’s innovations, evidence, and knowledge to advance Nigeria’s goals.”
The agreement was signed 2 October in Abuja, Nigeria, to provide the framework for next steps in conservation and sustainable management of Nigeria’s aquatic resources.
“Strengthening local aquaculture systems, improving productivity, and supporting enterprise development will be essential to meeting the country's growing demand for fish while creating sustainable employment and income opportunities along the aquatic food value chain,” Nigeria Minister of Budget and Economic Planning Abubakar Atiku Bagudu said at the signing ceremony.
Currently, Nigeria, which has a rapidly growing population, spends an estimated USD 1 billion (EUR 889.7 million) on fish imports to meet domestic demand. To remain sustainable, domestic demand can be increasingly met by growing the blue economy with scaled aquaculture systems, WorldFish said.
“The strengthened partnership through the newly signed agreement between WorldFish and Nigeria provides a foundation to work more closely with the communities and local partners in the country needed to grow the country’s blue economy,” WorldFish Country Representative for Nigeria Charles Iyangbe said.
WorldFish has worked in Nigeria since 2019, trying to enhance national aquaculture productivity with higher-performing fish breeds such as GIFT tilapia. Continuing that work, Bagudu said WorldFish’s global expertise, partnerships, and research capacity can be leveraged to create a stronger blue economy.
