FCFN Proposes Fisheries Ministry, Unveils 2027 Blueprint For Taraba

By Sule Wakili, Jalingo

The Fisheries Cooperative Federation of Nigeria (FCFN) has proposed a dedicated Fisheries and Aquaculture Development Programme for Taraba State from 2027, saying the sector can create thousands of jobs and reduce unemployment.

The Ag. National President of the Federation, Mr. Mashi Gabriel Sani, made the proposal at a media briefing in Jalingo on Thursday, where he said Taraba's rivers, lakes, dams and wetlands remain largely untapped.

Sani, who is also National Coordinator of the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Value Chain Database Capture Programme and a member of the Federal Technical Committee on Accelerating Fish Production, said fish farmers in the state are still constrained by high feed costs, inadequate fingerlings, lack of finance, poor cold-chain and weak extension services.

He said the Federation is proposing a state master plan that will include a comprehensive fisheries database, hatchery and input centres, aquaculture clusters, modern processing and cold-chain facilities, and special finance windows for women and youth.

To give the sector institutional drive, he recommended the creation of a Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture or a State Fisheries and Aquaculture Development Agency.

Sani commended Governor Agbu Kefas for recognising fisheries as a growth sector and disclosed that the Federation will work with the state, Federal Government and development partners to translate the vision into jobs, food security and rural incomes.

The group also endorsed Governor Kefas for a second term in 2027, promising massive votes from its members across the 16 LGAs.