Nigeria’s quest for self-sufficiency in fish production has received a boost as the Lagos Agro-Processing, Productivity Enhancement, and Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS) – a World Bank-assisted project, is supporting farmers in the state with the construction of   cages using barrier boom to eliminate suffocation and fish kill in the water bodies.

Mrs. Oluranti Sagoe-Ovievo, Lagos State project coordinator, APPEALS, made this known during a monitoring exercise of projects supported by APPEALS in Agbowa, Igbodu, and Epe areas of the state. “There is water hyacinth in the water bodies and this brings about the death of fishes. We demonstrated some technology and taught the farmers how to construct cages using a barrier boom.”

Sagoe-Ovievo said. “The boom will not allow the water hyacinth to have access into the cages, thereby eliminating suffocation and fish kill in our water bodies,” she further said. She noted that the water hyacinth is currently being harvested and converted to fertiliser that is used by rice and ugwu farmers as organic fertilisers for the cultivation of their crops.

She said that the APPEALS project has supported two groups of 10 members with cage culture and barrier boom in the area, to enhance their productivity, noting that many Nigerians consumed unwholesome imported frozen Tilapia.

She said that with the support the project is providing, residents of the state would have access to fresh and wholesome Tilapia fish. Sagoe-Ovievo noted that Lagos has the potential and comparative advantage in fish production owing to the numerous water bodies in the state. She added: “apart from the barrier boom, the APPEALS project supported aquaculture farmers with cages, 400 bags of feeds and 15,000 all-male tilapia fishes.” Business Day