By Joshua Yousouph
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola, has courted Turkish investors into Nigeria’s fisheries sector, seeking increased investment in technology, infrastructure and value-chain development to transform the industry.
Oyetola made the call when he received a delegation of Turkish fishing investors, CRD Impex, led by Cem Tarhan, in his office.
The Minister said the Federal Government was committed to creating an investment-friendly environment capable of attracting credible local and international investors into Nigeria’s marine and blue economy.
He identified inadequate infrastructure, limited access to modern fishing technology, processing and storage constraints, weak cold-chain systems and limited market access as some of the major challenges hindering the development of the country’s fisheries sector.
According to him, the challenges also present significant investment opportunities, particularly in modernising the fisheries value chain, improving productivity and enhancing the livelihoods of local fish producers.
Oyetola stressed that while the government was seeking fresh investments into the sector, such investments must be structured to benefit existing players, particularly artisanal fishers whose livelihoods depend on fishing and related activities.
“We welcome investors who can bring capital, technology, expertise and modern value-chain solutions to the sector. However, investment must be inclusive and sustainable. It must complement and empower our artisanal fish producers, not undermine their livelihoods,” he said.
The Minister said the Federal Government’s approach was to transform existing challenges in the fisheries sector into opportunities for sustainable economic growth while ensuring that local participants were not excluded from the emerging investment opportunities.
Responding, Tarhan said CRD Impex was in Nigeria to explore investment opportunities in the country’s fishing sector.
He said the company had extensive experience in fisheries and aquaculture in Turkey and was interested in deploying its expertise and investment capacity to Nigeria.
As part of the engagement, the Turkish investors, accompanied by officials of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, visited selected fisheries and aquaculture facilities across the country to assess investment opportunities and gain first-hand knowledge of Nigeria’s fisheries value chain.
The facilities visited included the Kirikiri Lighter Terminal in Lagos, Ozumba Mbadiwe Fish Market in Lekki, Lagos, and Esuk Nsidung Beach Market, a major waterfront seafood and trading hub in Esiere Ebom, Henshaw Town, Calabar, Cross River State.
The visits provided the investors with an opportunity to assess the country’s fisheries ecosystem and identify potential areas for investment across production, processing, storage and marketing.
The Federal Government has continued to position the marine and blue economy as an avenue for attracting private capital, creating employment and expanding economic opportunities, with the fisheries and aquaculture value chain identified as areas with significant investment potential.
