Oyetola inaugurates committee to accelerate fish production

The Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy has inaugurated a technical committee to accelerate fish production in Nigeria.

The Special Adviser to the Minister, Dr Bolaji Akinola, made this known in a statement on Thursday in Lagos.

Akinola said the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr Adegboyega Oyetola, inaugurated the committee in Abuja on Thursday to translate policy recommendations into coordinated action.

Oyetola said the initiative would deliver measurable improvements in fisheries and aquaculture, which are critical to food security and livelihoods across the country.

“Fish is an important source of animal protein for millions of Nigerians. The sector sustains livelihoods across production, processing, marketing and transportation,” Oyetola said.

He said domestic production remained substantially below national demand, with implications for food security, household incomes and foreign exchange resources.

Oyetola identified high feed costs, poor access to quality seed and broodstock, weak biosecurity, post-harvest losses and inadequate cold-chain infrastructure as major challenges.

He also cited limited finance, weak research, poor data systems, and gaps in standards, traceability and market development as constraints requiring urgent attention.

The minister said the transfer of fisheries functions to the ministry provided a stronger platform to address the challenges under Nigeria’s broader blue-economy agenda.

He reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to increasing sustainable domestic production, strengthening value chains and progressively reducing dependence on fish imports.

Oyetola recalled the Oct. 29, 2025 strategic roundtable with NIPSS, which produced recommendations to address production and value-chain constraints in the sector.

He said the committee should assess the recommendations and develop a practical, prioritised implementation roadmap within existing policy and legal frameworks.

“Your assignment is not to develop another policy,” he told members, urging them to scrutinise each recommendation for adoption, refinement or rejection.

He said the committee would also map public, private and development-sector initiatives to strengthen proven strategies and avoid duplication of scarce resources.

Oyetola said the final output should include timelines, costs, funding options, performance indicators, and opportunities for private-sector and development-finance participation.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Mrs Fatima Mahmood, assured that the committee would deliver evidence-based interventions to accelerate fish production.

She said the eight-member committee, drawn from government, academia and industry, had eight weeks to submit its report.

Prof. Akintola Latunji of the Lagos State University thanked the minister for inaugurating the committee and pledged collaboration with stakeholders.

Latunji said the collaboration would help deliver the committee’s mandate and catalyse fish production nationwide.

The committee is chaired by the Permanent Secretary, Mrs Fatima Sugra Mahmood, while members include directors, professors, state officials, association presidents and Dr Charles Iyangbe of WorldFish Nigeria.

The technical committee was given eight weeks to submit its report and propose practical interventions to accelerate sustainable fish production.

It will also review existing recommendations and strengthen Nigeria’s fisheries value chain.