More govt. support necessary to stop fish importation — Expert

Wed, Feb 12, 2020
By publisher
2 MIN READ

Business

AN Agric Economist, Mr Bright Okwu, on Wednesday urged the Federal Government to give more support to fish producers to ensure the vision to stop its importation is realisable.

Okwu, who is the National Coordinator of an NGO, Africa Farming Project, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Wednesday that such support to fish producers should be through affordable credit facilities.

According to him, a single-digit interest rate credit facility should be issued to fish farmers for them to expand their harvest.

The agric economist said that such rate would also encourage more youths into the sector.

Okwu said that the federal government’s data on the sector should be appropriate, so as to ensure its projection and stoppage of fish importation would not be counterproductive.

He also urged the federal government to give incentives that would enable private investors to fix key infrastructure in the value chain of the sector.

“A tax holiday could be given to investors to establish mega plants where fish archery is made possible; even, modern fish processing plants can be constructed in various parts of the country,’’ he said.

Okwu said that the various fish producers association must always be in harmony to achieve the target of stopping fish importation.

Recall that the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Muhammad Sabo Nanono, had stated that the ministry would fast track policies and programmes in fisheries and aquaculture sub sector toward stopping fish importation in Nigeria by 2022.

The minister made the disclosure while receiving a delegation from the National Fish Association of Nigeria (NFAN), led by its National President, Dr Gabriel Ogunsanya, in his office at Abuja.

Nanono pointed out that time had come for Nigeria to look inward to tap into the huge potential in fisheries and aquaculture sub-sector for local consumption and export.

He stressed the need for relevant stakeholders to join hands to promote fish production. (NAN)

– Feb. 12, 2020 @ 16:39 GMT |

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