By Faith Anisiobi, The Sight News
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr Adegboyega Oyetola, has said new investments in Nigeria’s fisheries sector must strengthen rather than displace the millions of Nigerians who depend on artisanal fishing and related activities for their livelihoods.
Oyetola stated this on Thursday when he received a delegation from Turkish fishing investment company, CRD Impex, led by Cem Tarhan, in his office.
He assured the investors of the Federal Government’s commitment to creating an investment-friendly environment capable of attracting credible local and international investments into Nigeria’s marine and blue economy.
The minister identified inadequate infrastructure, limited access to modern fishing technology, processing and storage constraints, weak cold-chain systems and gaps in market access as major challenges facing the country’s artisanal fisheries sector.
He, however, said the challenges also presented opportunities for investment, particularly in modernizing the fisheries value chain and improving the productivity and livelihoods of local fish producers.
Oyetola said the government’s approach was to transform the challenges into opportunities while ensuring that investments remained inclusive and sustainable.
“We welcome investors who can bring capital, technology, expertise and modern value-chain solutions to the sector. However, investment must be inclusive and sustainable. It must complement and empower our artisanal fish producers, not undermine their livelihoods,” he said.
The Turkish delegation said it was in Nigeria to explore investment opportunities in the fishing sector.
Tarhan said CRD Impex had extensive experience in fisheries and aquaculture in Turkey and was interested in bringing its expertise and investment capacity to Nigeria.
As part of the engagement, the investors, accompanied by officials of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, visited several fisheries and aquaculture facilities across the country to assess investment opportunities and gain first-hand knowledge of Nigeria’s fisheries value chain.
The facilities visited included the Kirikiri Lighter Terminal and Ozumba Mbadiwe Fish Market in Lagos, as well as Esuk Nsidung Beach Market, a major waterfront seafood and trading hub in Esiere Ebom, Henshaw Town, Calabar, Cross River State.
The visit is expected to provide the investors with further insight into the opportunities and challenges within Nigeria’s fisheries sector as discussions on potential investments continue.
