Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola.

Nigeria’s industrial fishers and allied experts have taken a swipe at the country’s Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola over the exclusion of indigenous fishing and shrimping organisations from the Technical Committee to accelerate fish production in the country recently unveiled by the Minister.

At the last count, there are nearly 200 indigenous companies engaged in industrial fishing, shrimping and marine-based seafood production in Nigeria, which operate under an umbrella body called the Nigerian Trawlers Owners’ Association NITOA.

A fishing and shrimping expert, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, disclosed that the indigenous operators were neither included nor asked to make any input into the technical committee that would draw a policy implementation framework that would regulate and affect their businesses and only means of livelihood.

“We were neither contacted nor asked to make inputs…But that’s fine, we cannot impose ourselves on them”, the source said.

On the problem of Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated IUU, fishing, the expert noted that it will take the political will on the part of the government to curb the menace, which has continued to hamper local fish production, thus making the country to rely heavily on imported fish products with the attendant negative impacts on Nigeria’s foreign exchange.

Members of the technical committee include the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Mrs. Fatima Sugra Mahmood, who serves as Chairman; Director, Federal Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Abuja; Mr. Omoragbon Wellington,  Director, Federal Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Lagos Office; Mr. Garba Usman, Director-General, National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies; Prof Sule Abiodun, Executive Director, Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research; Prof Ayo Omotayo, Prof Akintola Shehu Latunji of Lagos State University; and Prof Sadiku Suleiman Omeiza of the Federal University of Technology, Minna.

Also included in the committee are Bayelsa State Commissioner for Marine and Blue Economy; Dr. Faith Izibenua Zibs-Godwin, Technical Assistant to the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy; Dr. Charles Okaga, President, Fisheries Society of Nigeria; Dr. Ebinimi Ansa, President, Catfish Farmers Association of Nigeria; Mr. Onoja Sunday, President, Fisheries Cooperative Federation of Nigeria; Mr. Mashi Gabriel Sani,  President, Tilapia Development Association of Nigeria; Mr. Remi Ahmed, and Country Representative, WorldFish Nigeria Dr. Charles Iyangbe.

The Minister had while unveiling the committee in Abuja tagged: Technical Committee on Accelerating Fish Production in Nigeria” noted that it would drive policy implementation as part of measures to boost the country’s fish production and thereby reduce dependence on imported fish products.

According to him, the initiative was designed at moving beyond policy recommendations to coordinated action capable of delivering measurable improvements in the country’s fisheries and aquaculture sector.

He noted that fish remained a critical source of animal protein for millions of Nigerians, while the fisheries and aquaculture value chain provided livelihoods through production, processing, marketing, transportation and other related services.

“Fish is an important source of animal protein for millions of Nigerians. The fisheries and aquaculture sector sustains livelihoods across production, processing, marketing, transportation and related services. However, domestic production remains substantially below national demand, with consequences for food security, household incomes and foreign-exchange resources,” the Minister said.

He further identified high production costs, particularly the cost of 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.

The Minister also cited limited access to affordable finance, gaps in research and innovation, weak data systems, as well as inadequate standards, traceability and market development as constraints that must be urgently addressed.

He said: “The transfer of fisheries and aquaculture functions to the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy has provided a stronger institutional platform for addressing these challenges as part of Nigeria’s broader blue-economy development.”

“The ministry is therefore committed to increasing sustainable domestic fish production, strengthening the fisheries value chain and progressively reducing Nigeria’s dependence on fish imports.

“You would recall that the Ministry, in collaboration with the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies NIPSS, convened a strategic roundtable on October 29, 2025 on accelerating fish production in Nigeria, which produced recommendations aimed at addressing production and value-chain constraints.

“This newly inaugurated committee has been constituted to rigorously assess those recommendations and turn validated proposals into a practical, prioritised implementation roadmap”, he said.

“Your assignment is not to develop another policy or establish a parallel programme,” Oyetola told members of the committee, stressing that the report of the roundtable must be assessed against the National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy, the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy, relevant laws, existing government programmes and the statutory mandates of relevant institutions.”