Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has emphasised Nigeria’s commitment to the success of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, a landmark achievement in global fisheries management.

He said as the second African nation to ratify the agreement, Nigeria is keen on leveraging the WTO Fish Fund to combat the significant challenge of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing on Nigeria waters.

Kalu’s remarks were a part of his contributions at the ongoing 55th Session of the Steering Committee of the Parliamentary Conference on the World Trade Organization (WTO) at the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. He highlighted that Nigeria’s domestic fish subsidies are largely beneficial, focusing on small-scale fishers and aquaculture.

The deputy speaker stressed that for the WTO Fish Fund to be effective in addressing IUU fishing, it must be more than a technical assistance fund: needs to be a strategic investment vehicle. Kalu also sought clarity on how the Fish Fund will be deployed with the speed, scale, and focus required to deliver tangible results for highly vulnerable regions like West Africa, particularly Nigeria.