“Nigeria loses Forex to frozen Fish Importation,” says Agriculture Minister

Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar, says the country loses foreign exchange to the importation of frozen fish, as Nigeria only produces 1.2 million metric tonnes through the artisanal, industrial and aquaculture sectors.

Abubakar, during a media interaction on the sidelines of the Internal Coordination Meeting of Implementation of Fisheries Governance Project Phase Two in Abuja, noted that the importation of over two million metric tonnes of fish into Nigeria requires a lot of foreign exchange.

Represented by the Director, Fisheries and Aquaculture (FMARD), Ime Umoh, he said,

“I will not be able to quantify the cost, but I know that it is a two-million metric tonnes of fish toll on our foreign exchange.

“However, it is being regulated by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) because only the CBN governor issues Form-M to anybody who wants to bring frozen fish into the country.

“So that monetary toll in terms of foreign exchange used in importing frozen fish is to be given by the CBN.”

Also, when asked if it was healthy to consume frozen fish, Abubakar explained that before fish is being brought into the country, certification and details including where it is coming from, its health status, and how it is being stored, among others, are required.

“We inspect the cold rooms and we have inspectors in Lagos, Abuja and in other locations, who inspect the fish to ensure that it is brought in very good condition,” the minister noted.

On the other hand, Abubakar stated that the Federal Government was doing its best in supporting local production of fish in various ways.

“We train those in the artisanal sector, provide them with inputs and sometimes we boost our rivers with fingerlings.

“In terms of aquaculture, we establish fish farm estates for youths and women.

“We also provide them with feeds,” said Abubakar.”

Source: Agro Nigeria