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A university Don, Professor Fayeofori Gbobo Bob-Manuel, has called on the Federal and State Governments to focus more attention on the Fisheries and Aquaculture value chain through the establishment of large-scale fish farms throughout the country because of its potential economic benefits to the nation. .
Professor Bob-Manuel made the call during the 43rd inaugural lecture at the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE) on the theme, “Blue Ecosystem Resources: Black Gold Unharnessed for Sustainable Development in Nigeria “, on Thursday.
He also asked the Presidents of the Local Government Councils to redirect the attention of the youth from oil bunkering to fish farming, and the oil companies operating in the country on the need to establish also fish farming.
The Professor of Fisheries and Aquaculture also encouraged the Nigerian University to grow fish as part of its integrated Agricultural program in order to make the University community self-sufficient in its fish needs.
He revealed that despite the abundance of water bodies, Nigeria spent 30 billion naira importing fish in the last quarter of 2020, with about 1.2 billion US dollars of fish imported into the country annually , describing the development as “a serious drain on the country. the country’s scarce foreign exchange.
Noting that if a concerted effort is not made by the government and the private sector to improve domestic fish production, fish imports will continue to rise, leading to a greater drain on foreign exchange.
According to him, “Nigeria is endowed with blue ecosystem resources that lie untapped under its waters, oceans, seas, rivers, lakes and creeks.
“If the resources in the nation’s waters are properly harnessed, they could give a boom to the economy and make Nigeria rank among the fastest growing economies in the world without oil and gas.
“Fishing and aquaculture make up three to four percent of the country’s GDP, contribute to meeting the nutritional needs of the population, contribute to about fifty percent of the animal food supply and a important source of essential dietary nutrients.”
However, he noted that despite the potential for fish production through aquaculture, artisanal and inland fisheries, domestic fish production is still far below demand.
According to the inaugural lecturer, the increase in human activity through industrialization, urbanization, population growth and the general greed of man to exploit mother nature have created a serious threat to all kinds of life due to pollution, which has become a global problem.
He asserted that since all other forms of life depend directly or indirectly on water, water pollution is often considered a major concern for humans.
Prof. Bob-Manuel said the exploration and exploitation of crude oil and its related activities in the Niger Delta have negatively impacted the aquatic fauna in the region, posing a threat to fish biodiversity.
The effects, he observed, “is that local indigenous people who do not have an improved standard of living, suffer from serious damage to their natural environment.”
He estimated that a good cleaning of the region, including the complete restoration of swamps, creeks, fishing areas and mangroves could take twenty-five years and will affect the production of fishing and aquaculture due to the limitation that the situation places on exploiting potential in the country. the sector.
Nigeria, according to Professor Bob-Manuel, ranks 160 out of 166 countries in terms of progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, indicating that five million more rural poor and the group of little income in Nigeria live in poverty and suffer from malnutrition.
The Don University, therefore, called for a ban on the importation of fish, while favoring the massive production of fish for domestic consumption and export.
He also made a case for the culture of freshwater fish and brackish water to grow fish in rural areas where there is a ready market to save a lot of exchanges.
In addition, he said, there should be “a substantial increase in fish supplies needed to fill the demand and supply gap in the coming decades with the use of modern technology and improved farming practices to support sustainability of production”.
In his speech, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Okechuku Onuchuku, commended the inaugural lecturer for emphasizing the need to use natural resources to grow the economy and improve the general well-being of the people by focusing more on the fisheries value chain.
He also thanked him for promoting good environmental management so as not to destroy future economic growth while trying to meet today’s needs.
Also speaking, the Acting Registrar, Mr. Donald Okogbaa, commended Prof. Bob-Manuel for the expository lecture and for doing justice to the topic, adding that the points raised should be food for thought for all.
By: Sogbeba Dokubo
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