Fish for All: A Continental Challenge

Opening Remarks by His Excellency, Dr. Abdullahi Adamu (Sarkin Yakin Keffi & A’are Obateru of the Source) at a Dinner Hosted in Honour of Nigeria Fisheries Day at the NEPAD Fish for all Summit Holding at Le’Meridien Hotel, Abuja, Wednesday, August 24, 2005.

This gala night marks the formal end of the NEPAD Fish for All Summit here in the federal capital, Abuja. On behalf of the government and people of Nasarawa State, I warmly welcome the special guest of honour, President Olusegun Obasanjo, our august visiting African heads of state, the officials of NEPAD and distinguished ladies and gentlemen. It is fitting that a conference on fish should end on a palatable note, namely a dinner at which fish is served. The taste of this summit seems to be in the eating.

Fish for all is a new African initiative aimed at achieving sustainable food production and agricultural development. Although hundreds of thousands of families in the riverine areas of Nigeria fish for a living, fish farming is relatively in its infancy in our country. This observation is without prejudice to the fish farms set up by various state governments now and in the past. These isolated efforts have not amounted to much. At least, they have made no impression on the fact that we import between seven hundred and eight hundred thousand metric tonnes of fish annually. Local fish production is only about five hundred thousand metric tonnes. Much of this comes from the efforts of peasant fishermen. The gap between what we need and what we produce is thus wide. What has been lacking is a national initiative to recognise and elevate fish farming as a specialized form of agriculture in our country. This summit opens a new national chapter in the diversification of our investments in agricultural production and development. I am confident that if we sustain this initiative, the fish farmer will enjoy the same social recognition as the chicken farmer in Nigeria. Nigeria would be better for it.

Chief Obasanjo is the moving spirit behind this new national initiative in fish farming. His is a formidable spirit. Our president is an all round farmer. Although he was famous as a chicken farmer before he took on his present national duty as president, we can conform that he is also a fish farmer. We will all certainly benefit from his wealth of experience in this regard. Mr. President, this is a new feather in your cap. We commend you.

Fish for all is not, and should not be seen as a new slogan foisted on the nation by the government. It is a new national, and indeed, continental challenge about the present and the future health of our nation. Fish and fish products are essential to human diets because they contain special proteins that the body needs and which are not found in other foods. Nutrition experts are indeed worried that the average Nigerian is condemned to survive on a diet that gives him a full stomach but does not nourish his body or his brain. We should not find it difficult to appreciate the danger this poses for the future generations in our country. Under-nourished children will carry the scars of under-nourishment with them for the rest of their lives. The damage done to their brains and bodies cannot be properly repaired even if in later life they become wealthy and can afford to eat the best foods in the best hotels in the world. Fish for all should complement health for all.

This challenge must be tackled in a focused and systematic manner by Nigeria and all other African countries that are part of this continental initiative. The brief for the summit was to formulate a plan of action for Africa’s fisheries development and the comprehensive promotion of aquaculture. I am confident that given the experts on hand and the commitment of Nigeria and other African countries to this new initiative, the summit achieved its objectives. Plans, however well formulated they might be, are not worth the paper on which they are written unless they are put into action. Let all African leaders, particularly those who attended the summit, commit themselves here and now to put this plan into action immediately. If fish for all is treated as nothing more than a new slogan, Africa and its peoples would be the grievous losers. We are who privileged to be entrusted with the leadership of our people owe it to them to do what is right for them.

It is important for us to bear in mind that Africa is playing catch up in fishing farming. The rest of the world has left us far behind. Fish farming began in China some two thousand years ago. It has since become a major global industry involving multi-national companies. China remains the world leader in fish farming. The country accounts for 21 million metric tonnes of fish production from its fish farms a year. The total world output is 31 million tonnes. I see nothing fishy in these statistics.

Nigeria cannot but lead the way forward if Africa is to do more than pay lip service to fish farming. We have everything it takes to be in the vanguard of this aqua-cultural revolution. We have a president who is committed to it. We have water resources for a sustainable fishing production in all parts of the country. We have the required high level manpower and experts in the field. In addition to the sea and the lagoons, our country is blessed with rivers and fresh water as well as dams teaming with aqua life. Experts have calculated that nearly two million hectares of our fresh water is suitable for aquaculture. They have also estimated, and I have no reason to doubt them, that if we put these two million hectares into full fish production, we can reap as much as two and half million tonnes of fish annually. This level of fish production would make fish importation unnecessary and save us considerable foreign exchange.

But there are hurdles on the way. To meet this level of fish production requires 4.3 billion fingerlings to stock fish farms, dams, lakes and rivers. The current fingerlings production of only 55.8 million is nowhere what we need. But this is not a cause for despair. It is part of the challenge. After all, if a journey of a thousand miles starts with one step, I imagine that increased fingerling production starts with only a few fishes. We must have the will to begin, the will to be committed to it and the will to sustain it.

We are doing just that in Nasarawa State. At the inception of our administration, we inherited five abandoned fish farms in the state. We have renovated and expanded them for increased fish production. We have encouraged private initiatives in fish farming because the fate of this initiative is in the hands of the people. The response from our people has been most encouraging. Today, private individuals in the state are proud owners of sixty small-scale fish farms in various parts of the state. Our initiative is bearing the desire fruits. We are also constructing a multi-million Naira hydro-electric dam in Farin Ruwa development area of the state. This dam will achieve the twin objectives of providing electricity and sustaining fish farming in the area. We urge other states in the federation to follow our example so that together, we can turn Nigeria into a fish producing nation and end its near total dependence on fish imports. We must make fish for all a reality.

We welcome the decision by NEPAD to set up Aquaculture Park in Uke development area in Karu local government area of the state. We have provided 200 hectares of land for the park. We have been assured that when this park is fully developed, it would produce 800 metric tonnes of fish a year. In addition, it will produce fingerlings for sale to fish farmers in Nasarawa and other states in the country. I give my word we are unequivocally committed to it. My administration will do everything in its power to make this aquaculture park a national centre of excellence in fish farming.

We thank you, Mr. President, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, for honouring our invitation to this gala night. I hope that when we remember this night, we shall remember fish and fish farming.

Thank you and God bless.