Nigeria fish futures. Aquaculture in Nigeria: Increasing Income, Diversifying Diets and Empowering Women. Report of the scoping study

Abstract

Nigeria is the second-largest aquaculture producer in Africa, with a high demand and preference for fish among consumers. However, the role and potential of aquaculture to achieve goals for improving smallholder income, dietary diversification and women’s empowerment have yet to be realized. In partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), WorldFish launched a comprehensive study in January 2019 to fill critical knowledge gaps and provide an evidence base to inform future investment decisions that would facilitate inclusive growth of the sector. The 18-month study focused on identifying aquaculture sector bottlenecks for inclusive growth, based on fish production, consumption and value chain models that have high potential to positively impact smallholder income, nutrition, youth employment and women’s empowerment at scale. This document provides an analysis of the data and information gathered during the WorldFish/BMGF 2019 scoping study of the Nigerian aquaculture sector, outlining the evidence-based opportunities toward increasing the contribution of fish to people in Nigeria, especially the rural poor and smallholders, in the coming decades.