The National Fish Association of Nigeria (NFAN) has said domestic fish production remains below 25 per cent of the estimated 300,000 metric tonnes required annually to meet Nigeria’s consumption needs.
The association’s President, Ladan Aliyu, disclosed this on Wednesday, 30th of September 2026 in Abuja during the inauguration of NFAN’s newly elected executive committee.
Aliyu called for stronger government support and greater collaboration among fish farmers to close the production gap and strengthen Nigeria’s fisheries and aquaculture sector.
He urged fish farmers to form sustainable cooperative societies to improve access to inputs, training and government support while boosting local production.
“As fish farmers, we are currently producing less of the fish needed for consumption. Nigeria consumes about 300,000 metric tonnes of fish. Yes, that’s what we require. But for now, we are not producing even one quarter of it. And the importation brings in half of that quarter,” Aliyu said.
He said locally produced fish could be cheaper than imported varieties but noted that the depreciation of the naira had increased the cost of imported fish because importers required foreign exchange to purchase supplies from overseas.
The NFAN Deputy President, Adewale Adewu, also attributed rising fish prices to global market conditions and Nigeria’s dependence on imported supplies.
Meanwhile, the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment urged the new NFAN leadership to promote unity, transparency and accountability in the association.
Speaking on behalf of the Director of the Commodities and Export Department, Usman Bokani, Mrs Felicia Udeh congratulated the newly elected executives on their July 29, 2026 election and urged them to prioritize the interests of members.
Udeh said the ministry was willing to collaborate with NFAN through policies and other forms of support within its mandate.
She, however, cautioned the association against internal divisions, stressing the importance of unity in advancing the sector.
The association’s leadership also called for “one fish, one voice,” saying stronger collaboration among fish farmers, government agencies and other stakeholders would help expand domestic production and strengthen Nigeria’s fisheries and aquaculture industry.
