Federal government set to stop importation of fish - to save $1 billion annually

Segun oladipupo

The Federal government has expressed its determination to halt the importation of fish through youth empowerment programme.

As a result, about 2,500 ex- militants from the Niger Delta region will be trained on fishing production and construction of trawler vessels.

This is expected to save the country a whooping $1 billion annually on importation of fish into the country.

Special adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Professor Charles Dokubo said that the construction of the trawlers and citing the production facility in the country will boost exportation of fish and create employment for Nigerians.

Prof. Dokubo said that the programme was expected to reduce about $1 billion spent by Nigeria on fish importation.

He therefore expressed satisfaction that the project is in line with a deliberate effort by government to promote diversification of the economy beyond oil.

His words, “The project provides a clear convergence of domestic development and national security objectives while catalysing large volumes of foreign direct investment into the country.

“This is the first time that a large volume of our ex-agitators will be offloaded to full employment at once.

“The assurance that they will be EU certified means that they can work anywhere in the world beyond our shores.

“It creates a regional architecture that places emphasis on stability, economic and sustainable development. In the long term, it will position Nigeria to contribute more meaningfully to a market driven blue economy framework for growth and prosperity within the Gulf of Guinea,” he said.

He promised to ensure that the Amnesty Programme Office does all in its capacity to ensure that the construction of the yard takes off the September.

Also part of the programme for which an MoU has already been signed, is the establishment of an industrial fishing and processing company as a joint venture run by a consortium of Greek and Nigerian Partners led by the Presidential Amnesty Programme.

Presidential Amnesty Programme which is the lead agency of the government to train beneficiary is to last for three months , even as it is expected to empower a minimum of 2,000 youths who would in turn be taken off the Amnesty programme, saving the government N1.9 billion annually.

The Project is also designed to acquaint the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) Beneficiaries with modern day fishing using Trawlers.

The youths are to be trained by University of Patras, a Greek University specializing in Fisheries and Aquaculture Technology and be issued a European Union (EU) Certificates in Fishing upon successful completion of the programme.

Furthermore, the Greek Partners will build the Boats locally as directed by the ERGP during consultations. In effect, a Boat Building Yard would be set up in the Niger Delta for a 25 year period.

As part of preliminary activities for the programme which is a collaboration with international partners, a delegation of the federal government is set to depart for Greece and Costa Rica on a Facility Inspection.

In Greece, the Boat Building Yard, University of Patras, and other technical partners, as well as the Greek Government will be visited while in Costa Rica, the exact replica of the plant to be built in Nigeria which is a 110 Fish per minute Processing Plant and mega Aquaculture Centre will be inspected.