The Federal Government has earmarked N145m in the 2026 Appropriation Bill for the construction of 10-tonne capacity local fish feed mills across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, The PUNCH reports.
This comes as the government allocated a total of N149.24bn for Nigeria’s Marine and Blue Economy, with N136.4bn directed towards capital expenditure, signalling an aggressive push to develop infrastructure, enhance safety, and grow fisheries and other blue economy sectors.
Other projects highlighted in the budget include the provision and construction of solar panels as alternative power sources for the ministry, allocated N129.9m, and the establishment of a regional maritime development bank, which received N83.3m, among others.
Budget details show that N10.93bn is allocated for personnel costs and N1.87bn for overheads, with over 91 per cent of the allocation devoted to capital projects.
The interventions outlined target the dredging of inland waterways across Lagos, Lokoja–Onitsha–Baro, Calabar–Akwa Ibom, and Hadejia–Jama’are River corridors, construction of jetties, revitalisation of Sapele Seaport, development of fish terminals and harbours, and the procurement of patrol boats, trawlers, and safety equipment to reduce waterway accidents.
The budget also provides for marine protected areas, marine litter control, pilot blue energy projects in coastal communities, fisheries stock assessments, support for artisanal fishermen, and port reception facilities in line with MARPOL Convention obligations.
Further allocations include Nigeria’s participation in the International Maritime Organization statutory programmes, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and the International Seabed Authority.
Reacting to the allocations, the acting National President of the Fishery Cooperative Federation of Nigeria, Mashi Gabriel Sanni, commended the government.
“It is just a fraction of what is needed, but it’s a step forward if the funds are used for the purpose they are meant for judiciously. It is a step in the right direction. The government can’t do everything; we appreciate the government for that. You know the fishery business is a private affair; the government is not running the business, rather the government is facilitating or helping the industry to grow,” he said.
Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for the Promotion of Public Enterprises, Dr. Muda Yusuf, described the initiative as timely.
“For me, it is a very good initiative because one of the biggest challenges in the fishing business is the cost of feed. It’s one of the biggest challenges they face. The market is there, but the cost is a major challenge. This will help to alleviate or mitigate the challenge of high cost, but the budget needs to be improved so that it can add more impact,” he said.
The 2026 budget allocations underscore the government’s intent to strengthen Nigeria’s fisheries sector, enhance marine safety, support artisanal and commercial fishermen, and stimulate growth in the broader blue economy, positioning the country to better exploit its marine resources while boosting local production and reducing reliance on imports.
