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By Steve Agbota
Nigeria and other members of the Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC) have renewed their commitment to strengthening fisheries governance, combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and improving domestic fish production and value chains across West Africa.
The commitment was made yesterday at the Advisory Committee and Consulting (ACC) Session of the 16th Conference of Ministers of the FCWC, which was held on 11-13 November 2025, in Lagos.
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola, reiterated the Nigerian government’s commitment to regional cooperation and sustainable fisheries development as part of efforts to promote blue economy growth and encourage economic diversification through sustainable ocean development within the African subregion.
Oyetola, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr Olufemi Oloruntola, [said] in line with the blue economy national policy framework, which provides direction for growth in fisheries, aquaculture, shipping, marine tourism, biotechnology, and renewable energy, Nigeria is expanding cage culture systems in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation.
He said the aim is to strengthen monitoring, control, and surveillance systems with FCWC and regional partners, along with the recent high-level policy engagements aimed at improving domestic fish production and value chains.
Oyetola stated that Nigeria remains fully committed to the objectives of the FCWC in supporting collaborative initiatives that promote sustainable fisheries, effective governance, and the economic empowerment of coastal communities.
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“We encourage regional coordination, sharing of best practices, and building competencies to support systems that guarantee that the issues of fisheries are tackled promptly and rightly. There is an opportunity for us to take stock of current activities and actions in the subregion and lay steps forward in line with regional standards that have been set to forestall the negative effects of climate change,” he said.
He emphasised that all efforts in value chain development and biodiversity must continue to focus on improving people’s livelihoods, stressing that this must not be compromised.
“Everything we do in terms of value chain and biodiversity must still focus on the livelihoods of our people. We cannot sacrifice that. The commitment of the Nigerian government is stronger than ever before to make sure that we get the best out of the fishery,” he added.
The Secretary General of the FCWC, Dr Antoine Gaston Djihinto, urged member states to improve their financial contributions to sustain regional fisheries and aquaculture programmes.
He highlighted inclusive management, human capacity development, and stronger regional coordination as key to ensuring sustainable fisheries in the subregion.
