A combination of weak policy, pollution, and an absence of feed and seedlings is hindering the development of aquaculture in sub-Saharan Africa’s most populous nation.
Nigeria – Africa’s second-biggest economy and a net importer of seafood – offers great opportunities for aquaculture, according to local aquaculture farmer Adiele Ohanyere, speaking to SeafoodSource. However, the country’s potential is being held back by “water pollution in the aquaculture ecosystem” as well as inadequate government policies geared towards domestic production, he said.
“Nigeria offers the largest market for fisheries products in Africa, having over 10,000 square kilometers of waterways, of which 3,000 are navigable year-round. Our coastal waterways are over 853 kilometers," Ohanyere said. "Nigeria has a local fish requirement tonnage of 750,000 tons, while domestic production only amounts for 350,000 tons, so imports accounts for the in balance, most fish imports come from South America, Europe and Asia.”
Local aquaculture production consists largely of small ponds built from concrete blocks. The country also suffers from “poor production and management, especially in the lack of and poor management of broodstock, especially feeding and handling,” Ohanyere said. Meanwhile, training and extension services are lacking.
“I have been searching [for training opportunities] but with no luck,” Ohanyere said. He added that he had even looked internationally, including at programs in China.
Most of Nigeria’s government policies are geared towards subsistence concrete pond fish farming, rather than large-scale aquaculture. Finding feed and seedlings locally is a big problem for anyone seeking to launch aquaculture operations, according to Ohanyere.
“It’s a brick wall finding these resources,” Ohanyere said.
Imported fish species are mainly made up of species not available locally, such as scumbia [mackerel]. Ohanyere catfish, tilapia, scumbia, and croaker as the most popular seafood species in demand amongst Nigerian consumers.
