Nigeria Spends $866m on Seafood Imports as IMION DG Udofia Calls for Sustainable Fisheries, Aquaculture

Nigeria spent about $866 million on frozen fish and seafood imports in 2025, highlighting the widening gap between the country’s enormous fisheries potential and its capacity to meet domestic seafood demand, the Director-General of the International Maritime Institute of Nigeria (IMION), Rear Admiral Thaddeus Christopher Udofia (rtd.), PhD has said.

Udofia disclosed this on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, while delivering a goodwill message at the National Conference on Sustainable Fishing, organised by the Maritime Correspondents’ Organisation of Nigeria (MARCON) at Rockview Hotel, Apapa, Lagos.

The conference was themed, “Sustainable Fishing in Nigeria: Pathways to Growth, Food Security, and Coastal Livelihoods.”

According to the IMION DG, data from the United Nations Commodity Trade Statistics Database (UN COMTRADE) showed that Nigeria’s frozen fish and seafood imports rose from $606 million in 2023 to $688.5 million in 2024 and further to $866 million in 2025.

He described the development as a paradox, given Nigeria’s extensive maritime domain and the fisheries resources available across its coastline, inland waterways, creeks, estuaries, and the Niger Delta.

Udofia noted that the challenge was no longer simply about the availability of fish resources, but Nigeria’s ability to sustainably manage and convert those resources into food, jobs, and economic opportunities.

“Our inability to translate the abundant fisheries resource endowment into seafood sufficiency, and by extension, food security, is the paradox which this Conference seeks to unravel,” he said.

He identified overfishing, climate change and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing as major threats undermining the sustainability of Nigeria’s fisheries sector.

The DG pointed out that destructive fishing practices, particularly illegal activities by some industrial trawlers, are damaging marine habitats while reducing the catch available to artisanal fishermen and coastal communities.

He stressed that the consequences extend beyond the fishing industry, noting that declining catches could worsen food insecurity and place additional economic pressure on vulnerable coastal households.

Udofia therefore called for stronger coordination among maritime security agencies, fisheries authorities, and other relevant regulators to improve enforcement and tackle illegal fishing.

He also advocated greater use of scientific data in fisheries management, urging research institutions to provide credible information on fish stocks to guide policies on catch limits, closed seasons, and marine protected areas.

The IMION DG further urged Nigeria to accelerate investment in aquaculture, describing modern and technologically driven fish farming as an important avenue for reducing pressure on wild fish stocks while increasing domestic production.

He particularly highlighted the potential of modern cage culture systems in suitable coastal lagoons, saying aquaculture could provide more predictable and scalable opportunities for young people and women.

“We must transition aggressively from wild-capture fisheries to technologically driven aquaculture,” Udofia remarked.

He also identified inadequate cold-chain infrastructure, processing facilities, and technical capacity as areas requiring investment, saying improved facilities would help reduce post-harvest losses and create additional value within the fisheries sector.

On technology, Udofia advocated the deployment of Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS), satellite surveillance and improved data systems to strengthen monitoring of fishing activities and ensure compliance with regulations.

He stated that Nigeria could not effectively manage its fisheries resources without accurate information on what was being harvested and where fishing activities were taking place.

Beyond enforcement and technology, Udofia called for greater participation by coastal communities in fisheries management.

He proposed institutionalising Community-Based Fisheries Management (CBFM), arguing that people who depend directly on the marine environment should have a meaningful role in protecting and managing local fishing grounds.

“When communities possess a legal, vested ownership stake in the health of their marine environment, they naturally become our frontline defence against destructive practices,” he said.

The IMION DG also disclosed that the institute was exploring capacity-building frameworks aimed at equipping coastal youths with skills beyond conventional fishing, including marine entrepreneurship, eco-tourism, boat building, and specialised technical services.

He explained that such diversification would help reduce pressure on wild fish stocks while creating additional sources of income for coastal households.

Udofia urged stakeholders across the public and private sectors to move beyond policy declarations and conference resolutions towards practical implementation.

He called on academia to provide actionable research, financial institutions to develop suitable credit structures for artisanal fishing cooperatives, regulators to enforce existing laws, and training institutions to build the human capacity required to support the sector.

He emphasised that sustainable fisheries should be treated as an integral component of Nigeria’s food security and Blue Economy ambitions.

“Let us protect our waters and fisheries resources therein, so they may protect our future,” Udofia added.

He expressed the commitment of IMION to providing research, capacity-building, and governance support towards developing a sustainable fisheries sector capable of contributing to economic growth, food security, and resilient livelihoods in Nigeria’s coastal communities.

ThelensNG