The Nigerian Union of Fishermen and Seafood Dealers (NUFAS) has lamented difficulties its members face in producing fish locally due to the high cost of fish feeds and insecurity at major watersides in the country.
The union’s National President, Alhaji Sani Usman Rilwanu, in a letter to President Bola Tinubu, said that 70 per cent of those importing fish could not do so due to the hike in exchange rates.
He stated that despite Nigeria being one of the richest nations in fish production globally, previous governments had not prioritized the sector for value chains and economic viability, which could be tapped into to become a mainstay of the nation’s economy.
According to him, over the years, the Federal Government has been losing large amounts of revenue and other economic benefits by granting licenves to foreign fishermen to fish in its territorial waters, while Nigerians import the same fish.
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“Our fish farmers across the federation cannot produce fish locally due to the high cost of fish feeds, equipment, and insecurity at major watersides. Borno State, which used to provide 50 percent of our national fish needs in the past, has now stopped due to insecurity in the Lake Chad Basin.
“As it stands now, Nigeria, with a population of over 200 million people, does not have enough fish (protein) for national consumption. Our local fishermen across the country lack expertise, modern fishing equipment, and government assistance/intervention,” he said.
Rilwanu further stated that despite public outcry regarding the state of the economy, NUFAS was confident that the Tinubu administration’s reforms, especially the creation of the Ministry of Livestock Development and local government council autonomy, would, in the long run, solve the nation’s problems and improve the living standards of citizens.
He mentioned that their members participated in the 2023 general polls at the presidential level, demonstrating their understanding and confidence in President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The union appealed to the federal and state governments to boost fisheries and make it one of the mainstays of the nation’s economy.
The NUFAS president commended Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, for his vision to boost fishery production, processing, and packaging by making Kaduna the centre of fish business in the northern region.
