Despite Nigeria’s position as Africa’s second-largest aquaculture producer, with reportedly 1,444,651 people engaged in fish farming, the country still struggles to meet its domestic fish demand. According to the World Bank, Nigeria produces only about 40% of its total annual fish demand, relying heavily on imports to bridge the gap.
In this exclusive interview, Martha Queen Dako, Founder of Madaq Aqua Venture and a seasoned Aquaculture Business Specialist, sheds light on the challenges and opportunities facing Nigeria’s fish industry.
With her expertise and experience working with over 600 fish farmers, Dako offers valuable insights into the sector’s potential for growth, sustainability, and food security.
Can you introduce yourself and tell us what you do?
My name is Martha Queen Dako, and I am an Aquaculture Business Specialist. I am originally from Edo State but was born and raised in Warri, Delta State. What I do involves helping fish farmers establish their farms, as well as assisting existing farmers in enhancing their operations.
What drew you to this industry?
Initially, I applied to study medicine and surgery at the University of Benin in Edo State, but I was offered Agriculture instead, Fisheries to be precise. My father encouraged me to pursue this course, reassuring me that the world was shifting towards agriculture and that I could transfer to another department if I wished.
During my second or third year, we began working with fish, raising them from fingerlings to table size, and that’s when I developed a passion for aquaculture. It felt like nurturing a child, watching them grow from small to large. This process was fascinating, and I realised that if you adhere to the right procedures, it becomes quite easy. By God’s grace, I graduated in the top 20 percent of my class in 2017.
After school, how did you transition into the industry?
I started my career as an Environmental Health And Safety Officer at a Real Estate Company for a couple of months before pursuing my passion as an Aquaculture Business Specialist with Partners for Development in Nigeria. Eventually, in 2022, I founded Madaq Aqua Venture, which provides advisory services to fish farmers in Delta State.
Nigeria is one of Africa’s largest fish producers, yet it is also the continent’s largest fish importer. What is the reason for this?
The reason for this lies in the type of fish produced and consumed. Most of the imported fish are marine species, while we primarily culture freshwater fish locally. There are health benefits associated with both types of fish. For instance, wild-caught marine fish typically contain higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which are beneficial for heart health and clear skin. Conversely, farmed freshwater fish generally have lower omega-3 content.
Some companies I’ve collaborated with do not engage in fish farming themselves but instead work with wild fish harvesters. There will always be a market for both local and imported fish.
What are some of the challenges in the Nigerian fish industry?
A major challenge farmers face is the high cost of feed. Regular fish feed is quite expensive. After feeding their fish for weeks, these farmers struggle to sell at a profitable price because the market women who buy from them often dictate the prices. In many cases, farmers barely make enough profit.
If there was a structured system where buyers consistently purchased fish at fair market rates, farmers would be able to focus on production without worrying about losses.
Many farmers have left the business because they can no longer sustain it. Over the past two years, the cost of fish feed has increased by ₦8,000-10,000 per bag, but the price of fish itself has only risen by about ₦2,000 per kilogram.
Many farmers have been forced to quit because they can no longer break even.
With fish feed prices skyrocketing in Nigeria, many farmers resort to unconventional feed sources like poultry waste or even inject growth hormones. Is this an innovation or a red flag?
Over the years, we have noticed that to manage production costs, many farmers were turning to unconventional feed sources like blood meal and maggots.
Maggots are not entirely bad, the challenge is getting them in the required quantities to sustain production. Some farmers even resort to using dead chickens, animal intestines, and other waste materials.
In some cases, farmers construct poultry pens directly above fish ponds so that poultry droppings fall straight into the water. Over time, this affects water quality and ultimately impacts the fish.
One long-term effect of using unconventional feed sources is that when the fish is cooked, it can sometimes have an unpleasant odour, resembling poultry waste more than fresh fish. To mitigate this, fish farmers should switch to conventional fish feed when it’s time to sell. This means going to the market and buying regular fish feed. Ideally, you should start feeding your fish this regular feed at least six weeks before selling them.
The reason for this is that the fish need time to process the feed. What you give them is what they convert into body mass. So, if you begin feeding them regular fish feed a few weeks before selling, they will purge any remnants of poultry waste from their system. This way, they can properly absorb the nutrients from the fish feed and achieve optimal body mass.
As for growth hormones, we strongly discourage their use. In the long run, they have negative effects on human health, even though these effects may not be immediately noticeable. Some people always want big fish, but if you continuously consume fish that have been artificially grown with chemicals, the farmer might be exposing them to health risks.
What are some misconceptions people have about the industry?
A major misconception is that fish farming is easy. Many people assume all they need to do is put fish in water, feed them, and then make a profit. But it’s not that simple. Over 80 percent of fish farmers start without proper knowledge of the business, and 70 percent end up making losses in their first year.
Fish farming requires technical knowledge. You need to understand fish species, water quality management, disease control, and feeding techniques. You also need to know how to select healthy fish stock. Unfortunately, most enter the industry without this knowledge and end up failing.
What long-term strategies do you believe can enhance the sustainability of Nigeria’s seafood industry, and how can we encourage diversification in fish farming?
At the end of the day, it comes down to consumer preference. People farm what sells. For example, there is a fish called the snakehead, it looks a bit like a snake. Even though it’s available in Nigeria, people rarely buy it because they find its appearance unappealing.
Consumers are used to catfish and tilapia, so those are the species that dominate the market. If you tell fish farmers to start culturing other fish, they may hesitate because there is no guaranteed market for them. For diversification to happen, consumer awareness and demand must change.
How can we enhance the fish market in Nigeria to position it as a key player in food security?
I always advocate for a greater appreciation of fish. If you go to restaurants, you will see people buying turkey or beef but rarely fish. Most people only opt for fish when there is no meat available. That needs to change.
The key is to create more awareness; people need to understand the benefits of eating fish.
What is one of your biggest pieces of advice for people entering the fish industry?
The first thing I would advise them to do is to check for a proper drainage system in the area where they plan to set up their fish farm. Even if you have the money and the market, without proper drainage, where will all the water go? Eventually, people in the neighbourhood will complain of the smell, and you could be forced to close down.
As someone who coaches around 600 fish farmers, are there more men or more women in the industry?
There are more men. Most of the fish farmers use earthen ponds, those are the ones where you dig, excavate the soil, pump in water, and then stock your fish. These ponds are over six feet deep, sometimes up to eight or nine feet, making them more labour-intensive. The men can jump into the ponds, clean them, pump out the water, and do the heavy work themselves. But for women, it is more difficult.
For instance, we did a project covering three local government areas, Uvwie, Ughelli North, and Ndokwa West. The majority of the fish farmers, over 60%, were from Uvwie, where they had large clusters of over 100 excavated ponds. The men found it easier to manage these ponds, while the women often had to pay for labour.
Imagine noticing that three of your fish have died. To get a labourer to remove them, you could be charged between ₦300 and ₦500. When women calculate these extra costs, they often decide it is not worth it. It is a dirty job, and many women see it as a man’s job.
In Ndokwa West, however, things were different. They do not have many rivers, so they mostly use tarpaulin ponds. These are easier to manage because you can pump in water yourself using an overhead pump. In this area, the number of women owning ponds was almost equal to that of men, although the men still had a slight edge.
Speaking of encouraging people to eat fish, how do you like yours?
I prefer it roasted, fried, dried, or grilled, so long as it is not overly soft, I have no problem.
There are projections predicted that the fish supply-demand gap in Nigeria will further widen over the coming decades without intervention. Is there a way to encourage more people, especially women, to enter the fish industry?
I think the roles have already been naturally separated. If you go to the market to buy fish, you will notice that it is mostly women who sell and process the fish. Women buy, dry, and prepare the fish, while men are the ones who culture them. It seems like an unspoken division of labour.
However, to encourage more people and women to enter fish farming, we need to create more accessible avenues for them to get involved. One of the most promising paths is through the development of fish processing and value-added products; that way, people do not need to have a fish farm to explore and gain from the industry. This can also lead to more sustainable practices within the aquaculture industry as women become stakeholders, ensuring that their communities benefit from both fish farming and processing.
