Odita Sunday 
The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to unlocking Nigeria’s blue economy potential through strengthened collaboration between the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), with a focus on fisheries research, innovation and sustainable development.
This was highlighted during a working visit by the Executive Secretary of ARCN, Dr. Abubakar Adamu Dabban, to the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola, CON, in Abuja.
Dr. Dabban commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the creation of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and the appointment of Dr. Oyetola, describing the move as visionary and critical to Nigeria’s economic diversification drive.
According to him, the establishment of the Ministry underscores the Federal Government’s determination to harness the vast economic opportunities embedded in Nigeria’s marine, coastal and aquatic resources, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the present administration.
“The creation of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy clearly underscores the Federal Government’s commitment to unlocking the vast economic potential of Nigeria’s marine, coastal, and aquatic resources,” Dabban said, noting that the initiative aligns with national priorities on food security, job creation, export diversification, climate resilience and inclusive economic growth.
He stressed that Nigeria’s fisheries and aquaculture subsectors offer enormous opportunities ranging from sustainable fisheries management and aquaculture expansion to marine biotechnology, climate-smart livelihoods and youth engagement, adding that these opportunities must be anchored on robust scientific research.
Receiving the delegation, Dr. Oyetola acknowledged ARCN’s decades of experience in managing national agricultural research systems and proposed continued collaboration in key areas such as climate resilience, research coordination, capacity development, and youth and women empowerment.
The Minister also disclosed that following a directive from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, supervisory responsibility for all fisheries-related research institutes and colleges has been reassigned from ARCN to the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
While noting the structural shift, Oyetola emphasized that ARCN’s institutional knowledge remains critical to the sector’s success.
“While the supervisory responsibility for these institutes and colleges now rests with this Ministry, we recognize the experience and institutional knowledge of ARCN in managing national research systems. There remains scope for continued collaboration, particularly in areas of shared interest,” he said.
The Minister further called for intensified research into fish feed development, identifying the high cost of feed as a major challenge affecting the growth of the fisheries and aquaculture sector.
In his contribution, the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics at ARCN, Dr. Aliyu Shuaibu Madugu, disclosed that the Council is implementing a fisheries-related project known as FASA, funded by WorldFish through CORAF, an ECOWAS-affiliated body.
He explained that the project has facilitated collaboration with the Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research (NIOMR), the National Institute for Freshwater Fisheries Research (NIFFR), and the Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI).
According to Madugu, the project aims to develop local fish feed ingredients comparable to imported alternatives, a development expected to significantly reduce production costs within the sector.
Members of the ARCN delegation included the Director of Administration, Mrs. Khalimat Balogun; Special Assistant to the Executive Secretary, Engr. Alfa Umar; and the Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Khadijat O. Ameen, ANIPR.
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