Innovate UK Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) and Global Alliance Africa have called for continuous engagement and partnership with relevant stakeholders to boost aquaculture in Ekiti state.
The global alliance in a statement at the end of the first Global Aquaculture Knowledge Exchange and Showcase in Ekiti state, said that such synergies would help in harnessing the immense socio-economic potential of the sector in Ekiti state.
The alliance said while Ekiti state is regarded as one of Nigeria’s agricultural hubs, well-known for its vast plantations of cocoa, cassava, maize, and palm oil, there is still a huge untapped potential in its aquaculture sector.
It further said that Nigerians consumed about 2.97 million metric tonnes of fish per year, and produced only about 1.07 million metric tonnes annually.
The alliance noted that there was a huge deficit of about 1.9 million metric tonnes, which sees some 1.2 billion dollars flow out of the economy and into foreign markets annually.