Oyetola Inaugurates Technical Committee to Accelerate Fish Production in Nigeria
The Federal Government has taken a major step towards boosting Nigeria’s domestic fish production with the inauguration of a Technical Committee on Accelerating Fish Production in Nigeria.
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola inaugurated the committee in Abuja on Thursday August 27th 2026, with a mandate to translate existing policy recommendations into practical and coordinated actions capable of delivering measurable improvements in the fisheries and aquaculture sector.
Oyetola said fish remains an important source of animal protein for millions of Nigerians, while the fisheries and aquaculture value chain provides livelihoods for people engaged in production, processing, marketing, transportation and other related activities.
The Minister however expressed concern that domestic fish production remains substantially below national demand, creating challenges for food security, household incomes and the country’s foreign exchange resources. He therefore charged the committee to develop practical measures that would increase sustainable domestic production and progressively reduce Nigeria’s dependence on fish imports.
He identified high production costs, particularly the rising cost of fish feed, inadequate access to quality fish seed and broodstock, weak fish-health and biosecurity systems, post-harvest losses, and insufficient cold-chain and storage infrastructure among the major challenges confronting the sector.
Other challenges highlighted by the Minister include limited access to affordable finance, gaps in research and innovation, weak data systems, inadequate standards and traceability, as well as insufficient market development.
According to Oyetola, the transfer of fisheries and aquaculture functions to the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy provides a stronger institutional platform for addressing these challenges within the broader framework of Nigeria’s blue-economy development.
The Minister recalled that the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, in collaboration with the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), convened a strategic roundtable on October 29, 2025, to examine ways of accelerating fish production in Nigeria. The roundtable produced recommendations aimed at addressing key constraints across the fisheries and aquaculture value chain.
Oyetola explained that the newly inaugurated committee was established to critically review those recommendations and convert validated proposals into a prioritised implementation roadmap. He stressed that the committee was not expected to create another policy or duplicate existing government programmes.
The committee is expected to produce a clear implementation matrix outlining priority interventions, responsible institutions, timelines, indicative costs, funding options, performance indicators and necessary approvals. It will also identify opportunities for private-sector investment, public-private partnerships and development financing.
The Federal Government has given the committee eight weeks to submit its report and develop practical measures capable of addressing Nigeria’s estimated 2.2 million-tonne fish production deficit.
The committee comprises representatives from government, academia, professional associations, research institutions and the fisheries industry. The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Mrs Fatima Sugra Mahmood, serves as chairman, while other members include senior officials of the Federal Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, researchers, state government representatives and leaders of fisheries and aquaculture associations.
Among the industry representatives are the President of the Fisheries Society of Nigeria (FISON), Dr Ebinimi Ansa; President of the Catfish Farmers Association of Nigeria, Mr Onoja Sunday; President of the Fisheries Cooperative Federation of Nigeria, Mr Mashi Gabriel Sani; President of the Tilapia Development Association of Nigeria, Mr Remi Ahmed; and the Country Representative of WorldFish Nigeria, Dr Charles Iyangbe.
Speaking on behalf of committee members, Professor Akintola Shehu Latunji of Lagos State University thanked the Minister for the confidence reposed in the committee and pledged that members would work with relevant stakeholders to deliver on the assignment.
The inauguration marks a significant effort by the Federal Government to move from policy discussions to concrete implementation in Nigeria’s fisheries and aquaculture sector. If successfully implemented, the committee’s recommendations could help increase domestic fish production, create jobs, strengthen the fisheries value chain and contribute to national food security.
