CBN Set To Finance Fish Sector, As Norwegian Seafood Council Trains Stakeholders

T HECentral Bank of Nigeria ( CBN) said it is ready to finance the fish sector and ensure that it contributes significantly to the country’s economy.

This was disclosed by Samson Alatise of the Development Finance Department, CBN, at the ongoing Norwegian Seafood Council capacity training for fishery officers and stakeholders in Lagos.

Alatise said as far as the apex bank is concerned, it is keen on financing agriculture, stating that fish is one of the focal activities that CBN concentrates on. “For now we have a ‘ Fish Champion’, a committee, set up to finance fish farming in Nigeria.

“The problem we have with fish financing under our Anchor Borrowers’ Scheme is lack of a viable anchor to offtake the fish from the farmers. The lack of a viable anchor is limiting the CBN’S participation in terms of fish farming financing.

“We hope with this capacity building and training workshop, the issue of getting viable anchors will be addressed to boost the aquaculture sector,” Alatise said.

Also speaking, the Norwegian Ambassador to Nigeria, Knut Leon, said the capacity building would boost the bilateral trade relations between Norway and Nigeria.

“Stockfish is an extremely important part of our bilateral relations, trade, and history. For Nigerians, it is an important part of our food culture and a really important source of our culture.

“Today, we will move a step forward to bring capacity building and training to the Nigerian fish industry.

“We have brought a fantastic team from Norway to train fish farmers and stakeholders in the sector. We are confident that you will find their inputs valuable. The Stockfish trade has created jobs in Nigeria. It is a winwin situation and we will continue to fight to remove the barriers on the path of this important trade.

“This cannot be a one- way thing, as we appeal to the Federal Government and the Central Bank of Nigeria to do their part in the equation. There must be cooperation between the two nations to benefit all sides,” Leon said.