Senator Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, inaugurated an ultra-modern fish hatchery facility in Calabar on Thursday.
The hatchery has the capacity to produce more than 20 million juveniles annually, with five million every quarter. It has a fully functional laboratory, classrooms for lectures, and a research centre.
The facility was jointly funded by the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Cross River Government, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
Others include the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises Project for the Niger Delta (LIFE ND), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Feed the Future Project, among other private sector collaborators.
Kyari said that apart from adding to food security, it would also serve as a hub for employment and income generation for youths and women in the aquaculture subsector.
“The South-South region holds a significant position as Nigeria’s oil and fishery hubs, motivating the provision of this facility to build the capacity of fish farmers and enhance productivity through research activities.
“The Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu is committed to advancing the nation’s agri-food system through technology and innovation for job creation, youth empowerment, and poverty reduction,” he said.
Governor Bassey Otu, in his remarks, said that the model fish hatchery project was conceptualised to address the challenges of unavailability and inaccessibility of juveniles, which were identified as impediments to fish farming.
Otu, who was represented by Mr Johnson Ebokpo, Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development, said the production of fish feed at low cost would bring down cost of production. According to him, it will also enhance sales and bring additional profit to fish farmers.
He appreciated the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security for providing a conducive environment for all the interventions the state had received from foreign organisations.
Similarly, Mr Abiodun Sanni, National Project Coordinator, LIFE ND, said the project, which was a testament to effective collaboration, was designed to ensure that Niger Delta youths embraced agriculture in its totality.
Sanni noted that while the project was expected to create jobs, wealth, and food security in the Niger Delta and Nigeria, it was also expected to revolutionise aquaculture in Cross River.
Dr Ben Odoemena, Chief of Party, USAID Feed the Future Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services, said 20 million juveniles stood for about ₦1.6 billion that would be injected into the economy of Cross River annually.
Odoemena said if properly maintained, conservatively, the hatchery will inject roughly about ₦60 billion into Cross River’s economy annually.
(NAN)
