Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano
The Director General of National Biotechnology development agency (NABDA ) Professor Lucy Jumeyi Ogbadu has disclosed that the current demand for fish consumption in the country stands at about 3.2 million metric tons per annum.
Ogbadu said the country produces a total of 1.1 million metric tons leaving a huge gap of 2 million tons in the supply of fish and fish products.
Speaking in Kano over the weekend during the graduation of 38 females from different local government area of the state that were trained on fish spawning, breeding and management of the centre in collaboration with Bayero University centre for dryland agriculture.
“In 2014 alone, Nigeria imported 8,000 metric tons of fish and thereby employing foreign producers to feed Nigerians thus depleting our hard earned resources and foreign exchange. The gap in the supply of fish in the country is enormous.”
The Director General who was represented by state coordinator of NABDA, Mr. Kabiru Mamman Yusuf, said the challenges facing facing the country today is biological which have solution in biological research and knowledge to get the challenges of the hunger, malnutrition, infectious disease of man, animals and plants.
She also mentioned others challenges which comprises productivity and scourge of climate change.
Turning on the benefits of the training offered to the 38 females, Professor Lucy stated that the workshop will help towards building capacity of female in fish spawning, breeding and entrepreneurship.
She implored them to put into use the training they have acquired so as to contribute in feeding the country with fresh and clean fish which is one of the demands in the country.
“I am appealing to you to improve your capacity in fish management and fish breeding so as to achieve the set goal of being entrepreneurship.”
During the ceremony, Professor Sunusi Gaya of Dryland Agriculture department of the Bayero University Kano assured that the department will continue to partner will group and individuals who are seriously ready to learn skills on agriculture.
