How Sustainable Aquaculture Can Benefit the Nigerian Economy

Blogs / How Sustainable Aquaculture Can Benefit the Nigerian Economy

Nigeria is one of the most populous countries in Africa, with a population of more than 237 million, as of 2025.

Fish is an integral part of the country’s dietary culture, with very high demand.

Therefore, aquaculture remains one of the key sectors driving the economy forward.

While aquaculture production in Nigeria grew significantly in the past decades, its growth has recently slowed, with annual growth rates projected to fall to 5% between 2025 and 2035, compared to an average of over 12% per year between 2000 and 2020.

Common fish species grown by farmers include carp, tilapia, and various catfish species.

Despite significant growth through aquaculture, the country faces several significant challenges.

Due to the growing population, access to nutritious food, maximizing food security, and improving health standards are important concerns.

Thus, aquaculture has gained attention in both the public and private sectors, as the potential of fish farming hasn’t been fully explored yet.

According to a 2018 – 2022 report from WorldFish Nigeria Strategy, the West African country produced over 1 million metric tons of fish but left a deficit of 800,000 metric tons, which is imported from other countries every year.

Also, the WorldFish projections indicate that the fish supply-demand gap in Nigeria will continue to widen over the coming decades, with an additional 752,000 metric tons of fish required by 2030 to maintain current national per capita fish consumption.

To meet this growing demand, fish production needs to be doubled by 2030, and losses after harvest should be reduced.

Due to the economic recession and lack of income, it is feared that per capita fish consumption will dramatically reduce in Nigeria, and it will impact the nutritional status of the country as well.

Additionally, many of the current aquaculture activities are causing environmental pollution and fish kills.

Fish feeds, mostly imported from other countries and used by the farmers, are very expensive.

Thus, the profits made are minimal, and many are discouraged from continuing in the fishing business.

Therefore, farmers in Nigeria need to learn sustainable aquaculture practices that can benefit the fish farming business and maximize high-quality output.

There is an urgent need to increase the production of fish in a sustainable manner, which will boost the growth rate of the sector and deliver profits for the farming community.

It will encourage more people to get into the fish farming business.

Moreover, it will help in generating employment, improving income, and supplying nutrition to the people in Nigeria.

Innovative aquaculture practices that are affordable and effective need to be introduced.

It will help small-scale fish producers and farming households in Nigeria.

The biofloc fish farming system is one such innovative technique that can promote sustainable farming in Nigeria.

Biofloc technology enhances water quality by treating waste, thereby preventing environmental and water pollution.

It is a cost-effective farming method that helps farmers save money on feed and additional infrastructure costs for waste treatment and water exchange in aquaculture.

This is achieved as biofloc is an aggregate formed by combining algae, bacteria, organic matter such as fish excreta, and feed left uneaten by fish.

Thereafter, it is converted into food, which is consumed by fish, and thus, no waste is left in the water.

No extra money is needed to spend on buying expensive feed either.

Organica Biotech’s Bioflok is a dense probiotic formulation of selective microbes that powers the biofloc system.

It degrades organic matter, such as fish excreta, and improves water quality.

It eliminates the need for water exchange and prevents water from being polluted.

Also, probiotics in Bioflok compete against pathogenic bacterial species and prevent diseases from propagating.

Biofloc fish farming systems, along with powerful solutions like Bioflok, can transform Nigeria’s aquaculture system.

It can further help the farmers to boost fish production sustainably and help the country bridge the supply-demand gap in the future, which can eventually drive the country’s economy forward.

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