15th August, 2011
The Lagos State Government has unveiled investment opportunities in fish farming into which investors could tap and rake in millions of naira, the state Commissioner for Agriculture and Cooperatives, Prince Gbolahan lawal, has said.
These opportunities, he said, abound in its fish farm estates in parts of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria.
Lawal, who spoke at the annual executive weekend training on investment opportunities in fish farming at Oko-Oba, Agege, said the fish farm estate initiative was designed to accelerated fish production targeted at the low income group, such as artisan and fishermen, school leavers as well as high income groups and corporate bodies.
He said the Ikorodu Fish Farm Estate established on a 34-hectare parcel of land at Odogunyan, Ikorodu, had 262 production plots which had been allocated to 176 allottees, making the estate fully subscribed.
“This estate is currently producing an average of 10,000 tonnes of fresh fish per annum. This project has created jobs directly and indirectly to hundreds of young school leavers and undergraduates of fisheries.
“A technology demonstration centre comprising 50,000 juvenile/cycle fish hatchery and 300 kg fish capacity processing unit has been constructed by government to serve as a demonstration centre,†he stated.
On the Ketu-Ereyun Fish Farm Estate, the commissioner explained that the estate was developed on a 60-hectare parcel of land on Itoikin-Epe Road with 482 production plots already surveyed for allocation to interested members of the public.
“The estate is expected to produce about 4.685 million tonnes of fresh fish per annum when fully established,†he said, while calling on the farmers to invest in these estates and rake in millions of naira.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Dr. Yakub Bashorun, said that in the last six years, over 450 executive farmers had been trained with multiplier effects on capacity building, employment generation, poverty alleviation and wealth creation.
He stated that this year’s training was specially designed to accommodate and elucidate latest advances and technologies towards improved fish production, adding that he was sure the training would equip the participants with essential rudiments of fish farming, which would enable them contribute to the overall development of the fisheries industry.