By Faridat Salifu
The Federal Government has unveiled a plan to grow Nigeria’s aquaculture industry into a major driver of rural employment, with targeted support for women and youth-led fisheries enterprises.
Speaking in Abuja on Wednesday during a meeting with fisheries cooperatives, Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola, said the government’s new focus on local fish production is tied directly to national goals for food security, job creation, and poverty reduction.
According to Oyetola, Nigeria’s over-reliance on imported fish is no longer sustainable, especially when domestic producers lack access to basic financing, cold-chain systems, or technical support.
He said the ministry is working to reverse that by expanding support for small-scale fish farmers and cooperatives, and actively involving young people and women through start-up grants, training, and simplified access to land and water resources.
“This isn’t just about boosting fish supply,” Oyetola said. “It’s about making sure that aquaculture becomes a livelihood platform for thousands of rural Nigerians.”
The ministry is already engaging the World Bank to develop financial tools for fish farmers, while also partnering with the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC) to make aquaculture ventures less risky for new entrants.
Plans are also underway to replicate the aquaculture model at Oyan Dam where controlled fish farming has improved incomes and yields across other water bodies nationwide.
Oyetola emphasized that the government is taking a long-term view, where aquaculture is linked to school nutrition, local economies, and regional trade.
Earlier in the meeting, Mr. Mashi Sani, President of the Fisheries Cooperative Federation of Nigeria (FCFN), proposed a N75 billion initiative called the Sustainable Livelihoods and Fish Food Security Initiative (SLESI) that would create up to one million jobs and reduce fish post-harvest losses by half.
Sani warned that poor storage, weak transport systems, and lack of extension officers continue to trap many rural fishers in poverty despite their contribution to the food system.
He called on the government to fund the SLESI programme and improve policy coordination to deliver real change at the grassroots.
Stakeholders say a revitalized fisheries sector could offer rural Nigerians a pathway out of poverty if policies are backed by infrastructure and real investment in people.
