The President of the Maritime Correspondents’ Organisation of Nigeria (MARCON), Ismail Aniemu, has urged state governments to invest deliberately in the fisheries sector and harness their marine resources to create jobs, strengthen food security and generate revenue.
Aniemu said Nigeria can no longer afford to have vast marine resources without adequately participating in the economic activities generated from them, stressing that fishing should occupy a stronger position in the country’s blue-economy agenda.
This was his position at the maiden edition of the organisation’s National Conference on Sustainable Fishing with the theme “Sustainable Fishing in Nigeria: Pathways to Growth, Food Security and Coastal Livelihoods.”
Nigeria’s marine endowment, he said, extends beyond fish to include octopus, crabs, shrimps, crayfish and other resources across the fisheries value chain.
According to him, “Fish itself is part of our national economy. We can’t be discussing blue economy and keeping fish in isolation.”
Aniemu attributed the limited attention given to fisheries partly to Nigeria’s long-standing dependence on oil and gas, arguing that the country must begin to recognise fishing as an important source of economic diversification.
He said the sector had significant potential for wealth and job creation but questioned whether Nigeria is adequately participating in the value chain or managing its marine resources sustainably.
He highlighted marine pollution, illegal and unregulated fishing and inadequate indigenous participation as key issues that stakeholders must address.
The MARCON president also urged the maritime industry to look beyond its traditional concentration on cargo and container traffic, arguing that greater attention should be given to fish production and exports.
“Because any time they talk about cabotage in Nigeria, everybody wants to lift containers. Every Nigerian that wants to own a ship is thinking about lifting containers, thinking about lifting cargo. Exporting fish is not in our agenda, but you know Nigeria does export of fish,” he explained.
He noted that Nigeria both imports and exports fish, stressing that the focus should be on strengthening domestic capacity so that the country can derive greater economic value from its fisheries resources.
Aniemu also called for stronger integration of artisanal fishing communities into fisheries development, saying those operating at the grassroots level must be carried along in policies and investments affecting the sector.
He further challenged state governments to take advantage of their marine resources by investing in fishing and trawler ownership rather than merely relying on the existence of waterways.
“It’s not enough to have the waters and claim you have it. At the level of trawlers, we are nowhere to be found. You can be born in Lagos and you are not wealthy, whereas there is wealth in Lagos,” he said.
He urged the states to develop greater awareness of the economic potential of their marine endowments and invest in ways that would translate those resources into tangible benefits for their people.
Aniemu announced that the sustainable fishing conference would become a calendar event to be held every September, with the 2026 gathering serving as its maiden edition.
He said the organisation is bringing together experts, academics and experienced industry stakeholders to examine the challenges and opportunities within Nigeria’s fisheries sector.
“We need to also think about how to sensitise the states that this marine endowment, you have to do so much to also get your food and to benefit from them,” he said.
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