Reps to revamp fishing industry
The House of Representatives has kicked off efforts to unlock Nigeria’s vast oceanic resources, raise professional standards and boost the country’s competitiveness in the global blue economy.On Thursday, Chairman of the House Committee on Oceans and Fisheries, Akarachi Amadi, presented three detailed reports to the Green Chamber. A statement from the committee’s media unit the next day said the proposed legislations aim to deepen research, expand technical capacity and spark innovation across key segments of the maritime economy.
Nigeria boasts more than 850 km of coastline, expansive continental shelves and some of West Africa’s richest marine ecosystems, yet much of its fisheries, aquaculture, offshore services and blue‑economy potential remain untapped.
*First bill: An amendment to the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria Act (Cap A12, 2004) to set up the *Brackish Water Fisheries Research Institute* in Ngo, Rivers State. It will focus on research vital to brackish‑water and coastal fisheries—areas that host commercially valuable aquatic species.
*Second bill: Establishment of the Federal College of Fisheries Technology and Marine Engineering, also in Ngo, to drive manpower development, tech innovation and close gaps in fisheries management and marine engineering.
*Third bill: Creation of a Federal Institute for Diving Technology in Ibeju‑Lekki, Lagos, offering full‑time deep‑sea and offshore diving programmes to support the growing offshore, maritime and underwater engineering industries.
Amadi expressed hope that passing these bills will promote sustainable exploitation of marine and fisheries resources, uplift professional standards and position Nigeria more competitively in the global blue‑economy value chain. With the right legislative backing, he added, the fisheries and maritime sectors can become engines of national growth, job creation and long‑term economic stability.
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