A team from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO has arrived Anambra State for a five-day primary data gathering on activities and interactions with actors in the Catfish value chain in Anambra state.

 

The five-day interaction with the key actors in the Catfish value chain is intended to help gather information and understand the strengths and weaknesses of the Industry in the State to inform the policy formulation and development of plans for intervention and support to improve the industry.

 

The exercise is being carried out under the FAO’s five-year Sustainability of Fisheries and Aquaculture Value Chains in  Africa, Caribbean and Pacific otherwise known as FISH4ACP Project.

 

According to the Leader of the team, Dr Abubakar Usman who is also the National Project Officer of the Fish for ACP Project, the project is being carried out in twelve African, Caribbean and Pacific Countries and Nigeria is one of the four countries selected in West Africa for the project, while the other countries include Cote d’voire, Senegal and The Gambia.

 

Dr Usman further explained that the Catfish value chain was selected as the focus area for the project in Nigeria and Anambra state is among the six states selected in Nigeria for the project because of its level of commitment in the Fisheries and Aquaculture sector as well as the institutional structure, policies and projects which have placed her at a vantage position to drive the envisaged industrial development of the sector.

 

The FISH4ACP National Project Officer in Nigeria said their visit to Anambra State is therefore to give them first hand opportunity to interact with fish producers, retailers, wholesalers, processors and those in the support system and markets to understand their challenges, strengths and areas of need which will form the major part of the implementation of the project that will start from the second year of the five years that the project will run, the first year being for data gathering and workshops.

 

For the FISH4ACP Project Consultant in Nigeria, Ms Aisha Lawal-Ibrahim, Anambra’s readiness for the project is impressive as they are the only state in Nigeria that has an agency solely focused on developing the Fisheries and Aquaculture Value Chain and commended the Anambra State Government for setting up the Anambra Fisheries and Aquaculture Business Development Agency, FABDA.

 

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Anambra Fisheries and Aquaculture Business Development Agency, FABDA, Mr Emeka Iloghalu said the Anambra State Government in the past eight years have organized its Fisheries and Aquaculture value chain and economy development into a veritable institutional order which will make the implementation of the FISH4ACP Project much easier and more impactful in the State.

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