Local fish production rose to 1.4m metric tonnes –Minister

The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has said that local fish production has increased from 1.1 million metric tonnes to 1.4 million metric tonnes this year.

Oyetola stated this while speaking at the 4th Quarter 2025 Citizens/Stakeholders’ Engagement Meeting of the ministry.

The event themed ‘Positioning Nigeria’s Marine and Blue Economy for Investment, Innovation and Expansion: The Pathway’ was held at Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja on Wednesday.

Oyetola said that the ministry in collaboration with its agencies and partners, has recorded tangible, measurable, and confidence-building milestones aimed at positioning Nigeria as a competitive maritime and blue economy destination.

He said, “In the area of fisheries and aquaculture, we are working deliberately and with renewed urgency to boost local fish production, reduce our dependence on imports, and strengthen food security. I am pleased to report that local fish production has increased from 1.1 million metric tonnes to 1.4 million metric tonnes so far this year.

“While this is still a far cry from the 3.6 million tonnes consumed annually, the progress reflects targeted interventions to strengthen local capacity through improved coordination, the deployment of appropriate technologies, and better sectoral planning.

“In addition, the Ministry has commenced engagements with relevant financial institutions to facilitate single-digit interest loans for fishermen across the country.

“This initiative is designed to expand access to affordable finance, empower artisanal and industrial operators, boost productivity, and support our broader efforts to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in Nigerian waters.”

The ministry launched ‘Enterprise Content Management System’ (ECMS), an internal administrative platform aimed at improving institutional efficiency, transparency, accountability, and service delivery.

launching the platform, Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, the Head of the Civil Service (HoS) of the Federation, said that the platform is in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

She said that the system would ease encumbrances and ensure effective service delivery, saying many ministries are working hard to implement the system.

The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Dr Pius Akutah, said the Federal Government is committed to positioning Nigeria’s marine and blue economy for increased investment, innovation and expansion.

He said that the engagement meeting evidenced the consistency of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy and his team in implementing Tinubu’s directives on reforms.

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