The Cross River State Government has pledged to deepen collaboration with the University of Calabar (UNICAL) in fisheries and aquaculture development, with emphasis on research, training and capacity building.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Livestock Development, Liyel Imoukhuede, made the commitment when he received the Head and representatives of the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, University of Calabar, who paid him a courtesy visit.
The delegation also formally invited Imoukhuede to serve as keynote speaker at activities marking World Aquaculture Day.
Imoukhuede said the state government was ready to leverage the expertise of academics and researchers at the university to strengthen the fisheries and aquaculture sector and promote sustainable development.
He identified training and capacity building as immediate areas of collaboration, assuring the academics that the government was open to engaging university lecturers as consultants and resource persons. “We’re going to be doing quite some stuff on capacity building. Obviously, we’ll leverage on your expertise,” he said.
The Special Adviser disclosed that significant investments were being planned in the state’s fisheries and aquaculture sector, including the expected arrival of about 15 trawlers following agreements reached with investors.
He said the planned investments would be supported by facilities such as cold-chain systems and fish-processing infrastructure to improve fish production, preservation and processing in the state.
Imoukhuede also stressed the importance of indigenous knowledge in developing the state’s fishing industry, noting that local fishermen possess valuable knowledge of fishing locations and marine resources. He said the government was exploring ways of attracting more stakeholders and creating an enabling environment for investment.
The Special Adviser encouraged the university team to submit proposals for joint training and other programmes, assuring them of the government’s readiness to support practical measures to advance fisheries and aquaculture development.
Earlier, the Head of the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, University of Calabar, Prof. Oluwatosin Kennedy, said the delegation was seeking stronger partnership with the state government in research, training, consultancy and community development.
Kennedy said the university was ready to deploy its expertise to address challenges confronting fish farmers and improve aquaculture production in Cross River, citing the recent flooding of fish ponds at the university, which damaged dikes and resulted in the loss of broodstock.
She advocated modern production methods, including indoor aquaculture, to minimise losses and improve productivity, while stressing the sector’s potential to contribute to food security, employment generation and improved livelihoods in the state.
Kennedy disclosed that the university would organise activities to commemorate World Aquaculture Day and World Fisheries Day, including sensitisation programmes, and called for increased government investment in fisheries, particularly industrial fishing, to expand employment and revenue opportunities across fishing, processing, storage and marketing.
The meeting also explored collaboration in animal handling, farmer sensitisation, research and technical training, with both parties agreeing to develop joint programmes that would translate university expertise and research into practical solutions for farmers, fishermen and other stakeholders.
By Arit Ubi
