Nigeria loses 420,000 tonnes of fish yearly to post-harvest waste — Oyetola

2026-02-10 - 17:49

By Folarin Kehinde, Abuja The Federal Government has raised the alarm over post-harvest losses of up to 30 per cent in Nigeria’s fisheries sector, warning that the losses are worsening the nation’s fish supply deficit despite fish being a cheap source of animal protein. Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola, disclosed this on Tuesday while defending the ministry’s ₦10.49 billion 2026 budget proposal before a joint sitting of Senate and House of Representatives committees overseeing the maritime sector. Oyetola said Nigeria’s annual fish demand exceeds 3.6 million metric tonnes, while domestic production stands at about 1.4 million metric tonnes, a gap further widened by significant losses after harvest due to poor storage, processing and logistics infrastructure. According to him, the losses not only reduce available supply but also worsen food insecurity and sustain heavy dependence on fish imports valued at over one billion dollars annually. “Despite fish being one of the cheapest and most accessible sources of animal protein for Nigerian families, post-harvest losses of up to 30 per cent continue to undermine supply and affordability,” the minister said. He explained that fisheries and aquaculture form a critical pillar of the marine and blue economy, with strong potential to support nutrition, job creation and economic diversification if properly funded. Oyetola assured lawmakers that the ministry was implementing measures aimed at boosting local fish production, improving cold chain systems and reducing post-harvest losses, but stressed that inadequate funding remained a major constraint. He described the ministry’s proposed 2026 budget as grossly insufficient, noting that it would only allow for minimal operational continuity rather than the reforms required to unlock growth across fisheries and other maritime subsectors. The minister also revealed that in 2025, the ministry recorded an actual cash release of just ₦202.47 million from a revised capital budget of ₦3.53 billion, representing about 1.7 per cent, a situation he said further limited intervention efforts. Chairman of the Senate Committee on Marine Transport, Senator Wasiu Eshilokun, assured that the National Assembly would carefully review the budget proposals, stressing the importance of the marine and blue economy to national development, food security and economic resilience.