Author: Abiemwense Moru

Bringing succour to widows through empowerment, right policy actions

By Abiemwense Moru, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

In recognition of the challenges of widowhood, the United Nations set aside June 23 as the International Widows’ Day. Through resolution A/RES/65/189 the UN, since 2011, has celebrated widows in appreciated of the obstacles and challenges they face.

“Despite the fact that there are more than 258 million widows around the world, widows have historically been left unseen, unsupported, and unmeasured in our societies’’, the UN said in a report to mark 2024 edition of the Day.

Widows in Africa are faced with heavy burdens placed on their shoulder after the demise of their husbands.

These burdens do not only come as the trauma of losing their spouses but include those imposed on them by some relatives of the deceased resulting in maltreatment and lack of care.

Following the demise of their husbands, most widows abruptly become the bread winners, a task which many of them find excruciatingly difficult to cope with.

Some even become poor because they are deprived of inheriting property left behind by the departed husbands.

Because they have lost their breadwinners, it becomes important to equip the widows with life skills that can help them earn some money as they try to fill the gap left behind by their late husbands.

Whether in rural or in urban areas the challenges faced by widows are enormous, and require concerted efforts by stakeholders to address. Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) have been in the forefront in that regard.

For instance Rasaq Okulaja Empowerment Initiative and Helpline Social Support Initiative, according to reports, have empowered 60 widows with self-sustaining skills in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

The widows were trained on tie and dye, soap, turban and snacks making among other skills, during a second memorial empowerment and exhibition programme by the NGOs in Abuja.

The President of Helpline Social Support Initiative, Dr Jumai Ahmadu, said the empowerment is also to give the widows and young girls an opportunity to be a better version of themselves.

She advised the beneficiaries not to be ashamed of what they were doing to support themselves financially.

To get the full benefits of the acquired skills, Ahmadu advised the widows to group themselves into clusters to enable them share facilities, access financial support and organise step down trainings to other vulnerable groups.

“Try to be a better version of yourself and improve yourself at all times and form clusters so that you can work as a team and easily connect with customers.

“I promise that next year, we will expand this exhibition and take it to the Old Parade Ground, Garki to accommodate more participants,” she said.

Similarly, another NGO, Women at the Well of Living Water Foundation, Adamawa chapter, empowered 10 widows and struggling families with foodstuff to alleviate hunger.

Jessica Edmund, the Founder of the NGO said during the distribution of the items in Yola, that the move was to alleviate the sufferings of the beneficiaries, following the current inflation in prices of food items.

Edmund, who was represented by Kate Ransom-Stephen, the Adamawa Coordinator of the Foundation, said: “today, we are here to help people with foodstuff and teach them how to catch fish to succeed in life.

“Knowing that the situation is hard that is why we are here to cushion the effects of hunger among our people.”

In Borno, Gov. Babagana  Zulum supervised the distribution of N250 million to no fewer than 25,000 widows and vulnerable women through the Borno Renaissance Microfinance Bank in Gwoza Local Government Area of the state.

The distribution took place in four centres, including the Central Stadium, Mega Primary School, Government Secondary School and Government Day Secondary School, all in Gwoza town.

Zulum said that the distribution was to support women who were victims of the Boko Haram insurgents, some of whom had lost their husbands due to the crisis.

“No fewer than 25,000 women benefited from today’s distribution exercise; each of them received N10,000 through the microfinance Bank; we have facilitated the opening of Bank accounts to them to drive financial inclusion.

”Gradually, we intend to cover all the 27 Local Government Areas and ensure that a sizable number of the population have bank accounts,” Zulum said.

Also, to address the plight of widows in Ebonyi, Gov. Francis Nwifuru reiterated that his administration would continue to prioritise the welfare of the elderly people and widows in the state.

Nwifuru gave the assurance at the Christian Ecumenical Centre, Abakaliki, during the elders and widows party in Abakaliki.

The governor reiterated his stance to better the lots of people, especially the elders, widows and other less privileged ones.

The governor acknowledged the current economic realities, its effects on the widows and elderly and pledged an upward review of their welfare.

“I assure you that I am with you, I am for you and I will work for you.”

However, the Customs Officers Wives Association (COWA), Ogun 1 Command Chapter, has under taken steps to address the immediate needs of some widows in the state.

Mrs Grace Ogunnesan, the Acting Chairperson of COWA, said during the distribution of food items Idiroko, Ogun, that association was committed to ameliorating the plight of widows in their midst.

Faith-based organisations are also central in mitigating the plight of widows.

Very Rev. Fr. Andrew Obinyan, advises that rather than put widows in difficult situations through socio-cultural practices, the society should seeks ways of mitigating their daily challenges.

Obinyan, the Parish Priest of St. Francis Catholic Church, Ekewan road, Benin, spoke during the distribution of  money, cloths and food items to widows and indigent parishioners.

Addressing the problems of widows and issues surrounding widowhood requires more than handouts to those affected.

It requires efforts that aimed at removing violation of rights of widows such as right to the assets of their late husband and in some instances, lack of access to their children.

This calls for the enactment and implementation of the laws that guarantees the rights of widows.

In the meantime Obinyan urges politicians to intensify efforts to provide social welfare programmes that would directly impact on the citizens and guarantee a decent standard of living in the state.

He advised leaders and governments at all levels not to focus only on physical infrastructure, but to ensure a corresponding investment in poverty reduction and youth empowerment.

“Government needs to build and revamp ailing industries in agriculture, textile, health, housing, recreation, waste management and recycling to boost job opportunities.

“Good governance also encompasses policies that promote food security and farmers interest,” he said.

It is believed that such actions would properly equip women with the required skills and wealth to meet the challenges of widowhood in the face of odds that test their resilience.  (NANFeatures)

**If used please credit the writer and News Agency of Nigeria. 

Eliminating child labour in Nigeria: Difficult but possible task

By Abiemwense Moru, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

In Nigeria, many children are involved in different forms of child labour, such as domestic staff, street hawking, and sexual exploitation among others, which stopped them from achieving their potentials.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) says that 24,673,485 children, accounting for 39.2 per cent of all children aged five to 17 years old in Nigeria are in child labour.

The NBS said this in its Nigeria Child Labour and Forced Labour Survey Report for 2022, which was released in Abuja.

The Bureau said child labour referred to the work for which children are either too young or that may be physically or psychologically injurious to their health and wellbeing.

The report said 31,756,302 children, accounting for 50.5 per cent of all children aged five to 17 years old in Nigeria were engaged in economic activities.

It said 14,390,353 children accounting for 22.9 per cent of overall children were involved in hazardous work.

The NBS said the North-West zone had the highest number of children in child labour with 6,407,102 while those involved in hazardous work are 3,266,728 in number.

“However, in terms of the percentage of children in child labour and hazardous work, the South-East region has the highest prevalence of children involved in child labour at 49.9 per cent’’, the agency said.

The report showed that in the 5-14 age bracket, 77.6 per cent of children attended school, 46.5 per cent were working and 11.2 per cent were exclusively working.

“Children in urban areas are substantially less likely to be working only and more likely to attend school only than their rural counterparts. There are few differences between boys and girls”, it said.

It said in the 15-17 age groups, more than two-thirds of children were working and 21.9 per cent were exclusively working.

“Children living in rural areas are 12 percentage points more likely to be working and 17 percentage points less likely to attend school than children living in urban areas”, NBS said.

The report said children from households with more educated household heads were less likely to be in child labour.

It showed that 43.2 per cent of children from households where the head had reached primary or lower education were in child labour.

“Whereas only 28.4 per cent of children from households where the heads have a tertiary education are in child labour”, it said.

The report said children from female-headed households were more likely to be in child labour than children living in male-headed households.

“About 42.5 per cent of children from female-headed households are in child labour compared to 38.7 per cent of children from male-headed households,” the NBS said.

On the state with highest incidence of child labour nationwide, Cross River, however, dismissed as untrue a survey report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) that it had the highest incidence of child labour in the country.

The NBS had stated in the report that of the 24.6 million children in child labour in Nigeria, Cross River recorded the highest incidence of 67.4 per cent, followed by Yobe with 62.6 per cent.

In the survey entitled: “Nigeria Child Labour Survey 2022’’, the NBS rated Lagos State has having the lowest incidence of 8.9 per cent.

The NBS described child labour as any work that robbed children less than 18 years of age of their childhood, potential, and dignity or had deleterious impact on their physical and mental development.

It stated that its survey showed that children between the ages of five years and 17 years were engaged in economic activities that amounted to child labour in Nigeria.

But not every stakeholder believes in the NBS report.

Dismissing the report, Cross River Commissioner for Information, Mr Erasmus Ekpang, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Calabar that the figures released did not represent the true position in Cross River.

He said the figure for Cross River was not tenable since government had put measures in place since assumption of office in May 2023 to discourage child labour and to uplift vulnerable segments of the population.

He explained that the measures put in place centred on health, education, agriculture and other empowerment initiatives.

Ekpang said that government had also put in place programmes that empowered women economically and discouraged them from sending their children and wards out as labourers.

“Women are empowered to take care of themselves and their families. Youths are also not left out of these policies and programmes.

“The initiatives are mostly in the areas of agriculture and small-scale enterprises.

“We also initiated programmes like school feeding to retain every child in school,’’ he said.

Ekpang advised the NBS to revisit its 2022 figures and make amends.

Meanwhile, the Bureau of International Labour Affairs says in 2022, that Nigeria made moderate advancement in efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labour.

It said five additional governors signed the Child Rights Act, which provides free and compulsory education for children and prohibits the use of children in illicit activities and by non-state armed groups.

It added that the government also hired over 180 labour inspectors and increased inspections from 10,526 in 2021 to 17,026 in 2022.

‘’In addition, the government established 11 community child labor monitoring committees, which oversee child labor projects and outreach efforts at the local level.

‘’Finally, the government adopted a new national action plan on human trafficking and conducted a national child labor survey in order to better inform their child labor policies’’, it said.

It says however, that children in Nigeria are still vulnerable to the worst forms of child labour, including in commercial sexual exploitation and use in armed conflict, as well as quarrying granite and artisanal mining.

For Sarah Ige, a mother of three and a trader in Dawaki, FCT, Abuja, deprivation and lack of access to education could force parents to engage their children a child labour.

Sarah said like some other children at 12 years she was sent out of her home as a maid to a family because her parent could not afford her education.

She said in the process of being a maid, she was assaulted and deprived of so many things as a child.

“I had wanted to go to school but could not achieve that dream because my parents were poor.

“For my children, I don’t want them to go through what I passed through; I will do my best to make sure they are educated, so that they can move higher in life’’, she said.

Similarly, Musa Afeez, a painter at Wuru in FCT, Abuja, said he was always sent on street hawking by his parents while his mates were at school.

Afeez, who said the act of street hawking disturbed him mentally and physically, urged governments to make concerted efforts to stop the practice to make for a brighter future for the country.

To further address the challenge, there is the need for the Federal Government and its development partners to strengthen their cooperation in eliminating child labour in agriculture and ensure work environment devoid of exploitation.

Dr Vanessa Phala, ILO Country Director for Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Liaison Office for ECOWAS highlights the urgent need for more efforts in that regard.

“Nearly 23 per cent of all children are estimated to be in child labour. Nigeria has its fair share of this figure.

“The agriculture sector accounts for 70 per cent of children in child labour (112 million) followed by 20 per cent in services (31.4 million) and 10 per cent in industry (16.5 million).

“Nearly 28 per cent of children aged 5 to 11 years and 35 per cent of children aged 12 to 14 years in child labour are out of school.

“The prevalence of child labour in rural areas (14 per cent) is close to three times higher than in urban areas (5 per cent),” she said this at a workshop on the Action against Child Labour in Agriculture in West Africa (ACLAWA) project in Abuja.

She explained that the ACLAWA project, funded by US Department of Labour, aim at supporting ECOWAS commission implement the regional plan for the elimination of child labour.

“ACLAWA intends to address causes of child labour through the provision of social benefits.

“It also intends to support the social protection scheme by providing benefits and decent work opportunities to vulnerable households with children in or at high risk of child labour.

“We believe that this strategy is crucial for sustaining the gains made from other child labour elimination interventions,” she said.

The challenge is already receiving attention at the highest policy making level in Nigeria.

“We are aware that child labour remains a significant challenge in Nigeria.

“It does not only deprive children of their childhood, education, health and future prospects but also undermines the country’s economic development said Mrs Nkiruka Onyejeocha, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment.

The civil society says it is ready to escalate cooperation with the government in order to address the challenge posed by child labour in the country.

According to Dr Loretta Ogboro-Okor, Founder Loretta Health Initiative (LHI), though it is a difficult task to eliminate child labour in Nigeria it can be accomplished through joint efforts.

According her, child labour has cost innocent lives, disruption of childhood, and stolen future from many children globally.

“Let us work together to create a world where children can grow up in peace, dignity, and hope for a brighter tomorrow’’, she said. (NANFeatures)

**If used please credit the writer and News Agency of Nigeria.

Enhancing treatment, care and support for persons with albinism

By Abiemwense Moru, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

Albinism is a rare genetic disorder where the person is not born with the usual amount of melanin pigment.

Melanin is a chemical in the body that determines the colour of the skin, hair and eyes.

Most people with albinism have very pale skin, hair and eyes. They are prone to sunburn and skin cancer.

An estimated one in 20,000 people worldwide are born with oculocutaneous albinism. The condition affects people in many ethnic groups and geographical regions. According to Medlineplus.gov

Albinism is most prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa with estimates of one in 5,000 to one in 15,000.

According to a Cleveland Clinic report, people with albinism may experience any of the following complications: skin problems due to their light-coloured skin.

The report further said that people with albinism may be legally blind, but they can learn to use their vision over time.

One major concern about albinism is its genetics.

Cleveland Clinic said albinism is passed down through families. People are born with albinism when they inherit an albinism gene from their parents.

In oculocutaneous albinism, both parents must carry an albinism gene for their child to be born with albinism. The child has a 1 in 4 chance of being born with albinism.

If just one parent has an albinism gene, the child won’t have oculocutaneous albinism. But they will have a 50 per cent chance of being a carrier of the gene themselves.

In Nigeria, persons with albinism face numerous challenges such as discrimination, health issues which many of them complain about among others.

As a group and as individuals persons with albinism have protested against this discrimination.

The Association of Albinism in Kaduna State said that in some instances, the lives of albinos are threatened by some members of the society out of ignorance.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that an alarming rise in skin cancer has threatened lives of Albinos in Africa. In some instance there were fatalities.

“Two albinos in Kajuru Local Government Area and one in Zaria died. Their deaths were all linked to climate change-related issues, including skin cancer.

“People with albinism lack melanin in their skin, making them more susceptible to sunburn and skin cancer.

“We are witnessing an increase in skin-related illnesses, adding to the challenges of our already difficult lives,” Mr Abubakar Adam, the Chairman of the Association of Albinism in Kaduna.

The rising weather temperature resulting from climate change has also had impacts of the plight of albinos, with risk of skin cancer becoming higher.

“We often seek refuge under trees or umbrellas to shield our skin from burning,” he further said.

Adam explained that the association also focused on raising awareness about the high cost of living affecting most adults with albinism who struggle to work during the day due to the intense heat.

But part of the solution remains public enlightenment both for general public and couples whose children and wards are albinos.

“The organisation is actively sensitising parents about the importance of ensuring their children wear protective clothing.

“This is to safeguard their skin from the sun. Moreover, we are intensifying efforts to raise awareness about cancer prevention among the albino community,” he added.

The chairman highlighted the need for more proactive measures against the harsh effects of climate change.

Similarly, African Climate Reporters, NGO, says it is committed to scaling up enlightenment on the nexus between climate change and the plight of albinos.

Mr Ibrahima Yakubu, the Head of Communication and Strategies of the NGO said the campaign would be carried out in collaboration with the African Institutes of Waste and Environmental Studies and other scientific institutions.

He said the campaign, among others, would seek to mobilise science, climate and environmental journalists and other stakeholders to raise awareness among the general public.

While public sensitisation is important in the mitigating the plight of persons living the albinism, providing treatment, care and support is equally paramount.

The Vivigold Foundation for Albinism Empowerment, Education and Healthcare, an NGO, has advocated the establishment of special health facilities with dermatologists and other skin care experts to increase access to health facilities for albinos.

Miss Vivian Ezeonwumelu, Chief Executive Officer of the foundation, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka, that albinos had higher risk of developing skin cancer compared to other members of the population.

Ezeonwumelu said that five members of the Anambra State Albinism Association died of skin cancer in a space of four years.

She said such deaths could be avoided if albinos had access to healthcare service and experts in albinism-related conditions.

“It is essential to shed light on the challenges faced by the albinism community in Nigeria and the importance of addressing their plights and promoting inclusion.

“Skin cancer is a significant challenge for individuals with albinism in Nigeria. Due to the lack of melanin, their skin is extremely vulnerable to the damaging effects of Ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

“Most persons with albinism cannot afford the high cost of preventing skin cancer. Which is why we are calling on the governments, groups and well-meaning citizens to come to our rescue,” she said.

Ezeonwumelu said there was the need to establish specialised health facilities across the country, to provide comprehensive support to address the specific health needs of the albinism community.

She said that healthcare professionals should also receive specialised training on albinism-related skin conditions to improve early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of skin cancer.

According to her, such specialised hospital will be a safe space to help combat stigma, provide emotional support, and facilitate access to healthcare services.

“The health facility will offer dermatological care and counselling to address the psycho-social impact of living with albinism, sun protection and skin cancer prevention, “she said.

Ezeonwumelu urged government agencies to collaborate with groups working with albinos to intensify awareness on skin cancer risks in the albinism community.

In the same vein, the Initiative for Advancement of the Albinism Cause (INAAC) has called on government to provide free sunscreen lotions for persons with albinism in the country.

Miss Joy Odigie, Executive Director, INAAC, told NAN that persons with albinism were dying from skin cancer, a disease that could be prevented through the application of sunscreen lotion.

She regretted that the high price of sunscreen lotions with high Sun Protection Factor (SPF) was preventing many persons with albinism in the country from using the lotions.

“Individuals with Albinism lack melanin and therefore are susceptible to the harmful effects of solar ultraviolet radiation, including extreme sun sensitivity, photophobia and skin cancer.

“The use of sunscreen lotions and creams, wearing appropriate clothing and spending limited time under the sun can reduce the incidence of skin cancers in persons with albinism.

“Unfortunately, the price of sunscreen lotions and creams ranges from N10, 000 to N18, 000 150ml per tube and are not readily available.

“Persons with albinism are advised to apply sunscreen lotions with high SPF at least three times a day and this will amount to an individual with albinism using more than one tube every month’’, she said.

She called for continued public education about albinos and albinism as well as advocacy for the rights of albinos.

“Although they may look different from the rest of us, people with albinism have the same rights and deserved to be shown love, treated with respect and dignity’’, she said.

The executive director also urged the government to come up with policies and laws that protect the rights of people with albinism.

“The government should also ensure that those who perpetrate violence against people with albinism are brought to justice,’’ she said.

In the same vein, Mr Jake Epele, Founder/CEO of TAFAfrica, formally known as Albino Foundation, urged President Bola Tinubu to reinstate free cancer treatment for persons with albinism at the National Hospital, Abuja.

The scheme was introduced by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“As a skin cancer survivor, I know how expensive it is to treat persons with albinism who are suffering with skin cancer.

“I think the time has come for the current administration to revisit this free treatment that has been applauded by the international communities as best practice.

“So, let me use this opportunity to ask the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to instruct for this laudable programme to be revisited and reactivated.

“So that there will be hope in the Renewed Hope Agenda for persons with albinism in Nigeria, God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria,’’ he said. (NANFeatures)

 **If used please credit the writer and News Agency of Nigeria.

Creating economic opportunities through fish farming

By Abiemwense Moru, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

Nigeria is one of the countries blessed with many natural resources that could create job opportunities for their citizens and boost their economies through local production.

Currently, Nigeria is facing severe unemployment challenges. Many population experts blame many social strife in the nation today such as insecurity, cyber-crimes, cultism, armed robbery, human trafficking, kidnapping on unemployment.

According to the custodians of Nigeria’s statistics, the National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria’s unemployment rate rose to 5.0 per cent in the third quarter of 2023 from 4.2 per cent in the previous quarter.

“The report read, ‘The unemployment rate increased significantly in Q3 2023 at 5.0 per cent. This is an increase of 0.8 per cent from Q2 2023.

“In Q3 2023, the labour force participation rate in Nigeria was 79.5 per cent, having been 80.4 per cent in Q2 2023.

“The employment-to-population ratio was 75.6 per cent in Q3 with a decrease of 1.5 per cent compared to a ratio of Q2”, the report said.

The employment in the agricultural sector as share of total employment in Nigeria saw no significant changes in 2022 in comparison to the previous year 2021 and remained at around 37.99 percent’’, stays statista on employment data in Nigeria.

One area of agriculture that has not reached its potential as a source of employment in Nigeria is fish farming. Fish farming largely been ignored even when it has the potential to be a major source of income for families and the nation.

In Dadin Kowa community,  Yamaltu-Deba Local Government Area of Gombe State fish farmers say they are making huge profits from the trade.

In separate interviews with NAN they said  availability of water supply all-year round had enhanced their businesses.

Mr Sani Hashimu, a 43-year-old  fish farmer said his economic profile had improved since he took to fish farming.

Hashimu said he began the occupation with just one fish pond but gradually expanded to two, with one pond having 3,000 fish capacity.

He said he harvested fish from his ponds twice a year and, all things being equal, he earns N2 million profit from both ponds.

“I have never made money like I make from fish farming; in fact I became a millionaire through fish farming.

“This business of keeping fish and selling them when they are matured is really good and has better returns on investment than other aspects of farming,” he said.

For Mr Ezra Amos, a 73-year-old member of the community, said he raked in millions of naira from fish farming from his premises where the fish farm is situated.

Amos, who has been in the agribusiness for 12 years now, said fish farming was helping him live a good life after retirement, adding that he made good profit from the vocation yearly.

He said that he made over N3 million from fish farming in 2020 but noted that the business was now more expensive to run because of high cost of feeds.

He said his investment in agriculture was paying him more than when he was in service, adding that he had no regrets whatsoever that he was now a fish farmer..

Also, Mr Adamu Mahmuda, a staff of Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) in Gombe State office, told NAN that he earned over N1 million from fish farming in 2023 as his part time business.

Mahmuda, who said civil servants could earn additional money through agriculture, said he established his fish farm two years ago with N300,000.

He said he had expanded the vocation and had started making his profits in millions annually, and described fish farming as more profitable than salary-paying jobs if one invested in the agribusiness.

“This fish farming is more than any salary if you invest well and acquire the right knowledge. You will never regret venturing into the vocation.

“My annual profit for now is more than N1 million and I am just two years old in the business and just operating on a small scale, being a civil servant”, he said.

For Mr Daniel Maji, another civil servant in the area, the community had become a fishing hub, adding that through the business, lots of jobs had been created with multiplier effects on the economy of the community.

Meanwhile, Mrs Oghogho Musa, President Defence and Police Officers Wives Association DEPOWA, says wives of personnel of security agencies could take to fish farming to earn extra money for their families.

Musa gave the advice at a One-Day Seminar on Fish Farming and Financial Literacy, organised by DEPOWA for barracks women in Abuja.

“The whole essence of this seminar is to empower you with the right knowledge and necessary tools that will enable you make informed decisions in your financial planning and management strategies for fish farming business”, she said.

According to a fish farmer, Mr Best Tomter, fish farming was one of the easiest agricultural businesses to start as it could be opened with as little as N150,000.

“Fish farming is very lucrative because, currently our fish consumption in Nigeria stands at 3.2 million metric tons annually and then what our local production produces is just 1.2 million metric tons.

“So you can see that we have over 2.2 million metric tons deficit in fish production currently in Nigeria.

“So we need people to fill up that gap and there is market for fish farming,” he said.

The Federal Government said it is aware of the potential in fish farming to boost the economy through export and job creation.

Consequently, the minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, said the government was targeting the production of 18 million tons of fish, of which 15 million will be exported.

In 2023, the federal government launched a four year strategic plan, the National Aquatic Animal Health Strategy (NAAHS) (2023-2027) meant to improve and ensure safe fishery production in Nigeria.

Speaking at an event in Abuja, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Ernest Afolabi Umakhihe said the move was to address the challenges bedeviling the aquaculture sub-sector of the economy.

It is heart warming that the government recongnises what fish farming can contribute to the nation’s economy and its job creation drive. The next step is to go beyond policy document and watch words with action. (NANFeatures)

**If used please credit the writer and News Agency of Nigeria.