Economy
Lagos to Produce 234,000MT of Fish in 2021
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Lagos State Government said it will increase fish production by at least 60,000 metric tonnes next year to bridge the huge deficit in the sector and meet the state’s demand for fish.
The state Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms Abisola Olusanya, said this at a news conference on Thursday in Lagos to unveil the forthcoming Lagos Seafood Festival scheduled for December 13 at Muri Okunola Park, Lagos.
Ms Olusanya said that the state was currently producing about 174,000 metric tonnes of fish annually, while the current demand stood at over 400,000 metric tonnes, hence the need to address the huge deficit of over 226,000 metric tonnes.
She said that the additional 60,000 metric tonnes of fish would include both fingerlings and table size production to what already exists in Lagos.
“The target in terms of production currently is to increase our production in the post-COVID-19 economy.
“The demand for fish in Lagos is well over 400,000 metric tons and what we are producing as a state is roughly at about 174,000 metric tons, so there is a huge deficit of about 226,000 metric tons.
“In terms of the target, we just ended our five-year master plan roadmap strategy document which will be unveiled by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the plan is to cover the deficit by a certain percentage.
“Already, the Lagos Aquaculture Centre for Excellence (LACE), which was mentioned during Mr Governor’s budget reading, states that for the project alone, we should be adding over 60,000 metric tonnes of fish, both fingerlings and table size production to what exists already in Lagos.
“Outside of what we want to do with our fisher-folks in terms of them increasing production and aquaculture producers as well in terms of the support, we will like to give to them and create additional farm estates.
“We should be able to increase our fish production by at least 50,000 to 60,000 metric tonnes in the year 2021,” she said.
“For the LACE alone, it should be over 60,000 metric tons; that is obviously over a two to three-year period for the project to fully come to life. Within the first year, we should be able to get 20,000 metric tonnes.
“From our fishermen and those in the aquaculture subsector, we should be able to get a minimum of 40,000 metric tonnes extra. So, we are looking towards an additional 60,000 metric tonnes for 2021 and subsequent years,” she said.
The Commissioner also said that the state had commenced the registration of fishermen in the five divisions of the state to capture the youths, adding that the target was to register over 10,000 in the process.
“As we speak, we have partnered with some Private Financial Institutions and right now registrations are ongoing in some fishing locations in the five divisions of the state such as Ikorodu, Epe, Badagry, Lagos Island and Ikeja.
“Presently, the private financial institution is registering youths in Ikeja, we are concentrating on the youth because they will take over from the ageing fisher-folks who don’t have records and details that we can trace back to them in terms of capturing and empowerment,” Ms Olusanya noted.
She further said the 2020 edition of the seafood festival would focus on the need to harness the seafood potentials of the state in a post-COVID-19 economy.
“Lagos State is a cosmopolitan city that is synonymous with seafood production. This fact is reinforced by the depiction of fishing in the state’s Coat of Arms.
“This activity is an old-time preoccupation of Lagosians, especially those living around the coastal, estuaries and riverine areas of the state.
“A total of 8,844 registered fishermen in 164 Fishermen Cooperative Societies live in 325 fishing communities across the state, while 3,600 fish farmers and 26,500 processors have been identified in the value chain.
“The state is also home to 60 per cent of the nation’s commercial activities mixed with fashion and entertainment.
“The Lagos seafood festival provides the nexus for the celebration of the state’s aquacultural heritage in an atmosphere of commerce and entertainment,” the Commissioner noted.
By Dipo Olowookere
The bulls regained control of the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited on Friday after surrendering power to the bears a day earlier as a result of mild selling pressure.
Yesterday, the Nigerian bourse rebounded by 0.54 per cent, mainly due to the gains recorded by First Holdco and others.
Data harvested by Business Post indicated that the industrial goods and energy sectors were flat, while the banking index chalked up 3.13 per cent. The insurance space expanded by 1.08 per cent, and the consumer goods counter rose by 0.21 per cent.
Consequently, the All-Share Index (ASI) went up by 1,316.52 points to 243,462.13 points from 242,145.61 points, and the market capitalisation grew by N850 billion to N157.057 trillion from N156.207 trillion.
The market breadth index was bullish during the last trading session of this week, printing 31 appreciating stocks and 23 depreciating stocks, representing strong investor sentiment.
First Holdco led the advancers’ log after it climbed 9.97 per cent to N95.95, Haldane McCall appreciated by 9.94 per cent to N3.65, LivingTrust Mortgage Bank soared by 9.73 per cent to N3.72, LASACO Assurance jumped by 5.26 per cent to N2.00, and Thomas Wyatt gained 5.10 per cent to quote at N3.09.
On the flip side, Red Star Express declined by 9.50 per cent to N20.00, Omatek slipped by 6.08 per cent to N1.70, C&I Leasing shrank by 5.93 per cent to N5.55, Jaiz Bank crashed by 5.03 per cent to N8.50, and Livestock Feed fell by 3.89 per cent to N8.65.
As for the activity chart, market participants bought and sold 685.9 million equities for N42.7 billion in 44,134 deals on Friday versus the 498.5 million equities worth N34.9 billion traded in 39,484 deals on Thursday, implying a rise in the trading volume, value, and number of deals by 37.59 per cent, 22.35 per cent, and 11.78 per cent, respectively.
Investors’ darling for the day was First Holdco, with a turnover of 225.9 billion units valued at N21.0 billion, Guinea Insurance sold 53.4 million units for N45.2 million, Zenith Bank traded 41.5 million units worth N4.7 billion, Access Holdings exchanged 29.1 million units valued at N720.6 million, and UBA exchanged 27.5 million units for N1.2 billion.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON) has appealed to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to deepen its sensitisation on the newly introduced Green Tax Surcharge Policy.
The chairman of APFFLON, Mr Akeem Ayobiojo, made this plea on behalf of his colleagues on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at the Customs House in Abuja, during a stakeholders’ engagement with the agency.
He also called for improvements in the administration of Pre-Arrival Assessment Reports and Post Clearance Audit and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Mr Ayobiojo stated that freight forwarders were happy to work with the customs, commending the organisation for implementing Chapter 99, describing it as a major relief for manufacturers.
He, however, emphasised that a deeper understanding of the new tax was necessary for his members, saying more predictable procedures would reduce delays and unexpected costs for importers and freight forwarders.
In his remarks, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Mr Adewale Adeniyi, assured manufacturers, freight forwarders and other players in the nation’s trade sector that the NCS would continue to engage them on fiscal policies affecting their businesses, saying sustained dialogue remains key to resolving implementation challenges and improving the country’s trading environment.
He also promised them the service’s resolve to enhance and facilitate trade, acknowledging that, “Your feedback is important because it helps us understand what is happening in the field, and where necessary, we will take your concerns to the Federal Ministry of Finance and other relevant government institutions.”
Speaking about Authorised Economic Operator (AEO), Mr Adeniyi further explained that Nigeria would not lower the standards required under the Authorised Economic Operator Programme as the initiative is guided by global benchmarks established by the World Customs Organisation (WCO).
On her part, the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs for Tariff and Trade, Ms Caroline Niagwan, clarified that electric vehicles can be imported without payment of duty only by holders of Import Duty Exemption Certificate (IDEC) issued by the Federal Ministry of Finance.
She also urged importers facing classification disputes to take advantage of the Advance Ruling system, noting, “Once an Advance Ruling is issued based on genuine documentation, importers have certainty on classification, valuation or origin before the goods arrive, thereby reducing unnecessary disputes during clearance.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Naira appreciated against the US Dollar in the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEX) on Friday, July 17, by N1.35 or 0.07 per cent to N1,380.18/$1 from N1,381.53/$1.
It also improved its value against the Pound Sterling in the same market segment during the session by N11.75 to trade at N1,854.42/£1 compared with the previous day’s N1,866.17/£1, and gained N5.69 against the Euro to sell at N1,576.99/€1 versus Thursday’s closing price of N1,582.68/€1.
In the same vein, the Naira chalked up N1 against the United States currency yesterday at the GTBank forex desk to quote at N1,388/$1, in contrast to the preceding day’s N1,389/$1, but closed flat at the black market at N1,405/$1.
The appreciation of the Nigerian currency on Friday came amid fresh signals that Nigeria is building its external reserves for protection against shocks and excessive currency volatility.
The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Yemi Cardoso, said the country’s gross reserves had risen above approximately $52 billion by 15 July, while net reserves had increased from about $3 billion when the current CBN leadership took office to more than $40 billion.
Mr Cardoso linked the increase in reserves to reforms that had restored greater confidence in the foreign exchange system. He also pointed to efforts to diversify foreign currency inflows, including policies designed to increase remittances through official channels.
He noted that monthly diaspora remittances had risen above $600 million and the CBN expected them to reach approximately $1 billion by the end of 2026. The target is part of a broader effort to grow reserves through recurring inflows rather than temporary measures.
The improvement, he argued, had strengthened Nigeria’s capacity to respond when unexpected events threatened market stability.
The apex bank has also launched a new digital platform that will track every foreign exchange transaction involving Bureau De Change (BDC) operators, marking a major step in its efforts to improve transparency and strengthen oversight of Nigeria’s retail forex market.
As for the crypto market, prices were up as markets overlooked geopolitical developments and macro forces weighing on the whole market ecosystem rather than anything crypto-specific, with Cardano (ADA) up by 4.6 per cent to $0.1661.
Bitcoin (BTC) jumped by 1.8 per cent to $63,968.32, Ethereum (ETH) improved by 0.9 per cent to $1,843.88, Dogecoin (DOGE) also rose by 0.9 per cent to $0.0723, Solana (SOL) soared by 0.6 per cent to $74.90, Ripple (XRP) also appreciated by 0.6 per cent to $1.08, and Binance Coin (BNB) advanced by 0.1 per cent to $567.32.
However, TRON (TRX) depreciated by 0.2 per cent to close at $0.3218, while the US Dollar Tether (USDT) and the US Dollar Coin (USDC) remained unchanged at $1.00 each.
