The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy Adegboyega Oyetola yesterday approved the digitisation of Nigeria’s fish import licensing process o enhance transparency, efficiency and regulatory oversight in the fisheries sector.
A statement from the minister said the minister directed the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture to expedite action towards the swift implementation of the digital platform. Oyetola emphasised that the initiative represents a critical reform designed to reposition Nigeria’s fisheries sector for sustainable growth and competitiveness.
He said: “The digitisation of fish import licensing is a major step towards eliminating administrative bottlenecks, improving transparency and ensuring that our regulatory processes align with global best practices.
“This reform will not only simplify procedures for genuine operators but will also strengthen government oversight, promote accountability and support our broader objective of boosting local fish production.”
The statement added: “The approval represents a significant step in the ongoing reform agenda of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, which seeks to deploy technology-driven solutions to improve governance, reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks and promote accountability across the fisheries value chain.
“The transition from manual licensing procedures to a digital system is expected to streamline application processes, minimise delays, eliminate duplications and drastically reduce opportunities for human interference and administrative inefficiencies.
“By introducing an automated licensing framework, the Ministry is positioning Nigeria’s fisheries management system to align with global best practices in maritime and aquatic resource administration.
“When completed, the digitisation initiative will provide real-time data monitoring capabilities, enabling the Ministry to accurately track import volumes, evaluate supply gaps and implement evidence-based policy decisions.”
