The four-year project, which is implemented by Solidaridad and partners, is funded by the Danish Government through the Danida Market Development Partnership. It seeks to create a sustainable business in the aquaculture value chain for smallholder fish farmers, especially for women and youth.
Building the capacity of fish farmers for improved productivity
The project will build the capacity of the fish farmers in best management practices (BMP), and modern fish farming techniques, as well as climate-smart fish production for improved output while reducing pollution along the aquaculture value chain.
In collaboration with Aller Aqua, OxyGuard International and Aquamind -three aquaculture input companies-the initiative develop an online education, trading, and farm management platform to provide easy access to education, best practices, access to an open and transparent market, and a tailor-made farm management software for easy operations monitoring and decision making.
These interventions, according to Mikkel Hansen, Commercial Advisor and interim project manager, will address constraints such as limited access to education, quality inputs (feed and fingerlings), finance, market, and hands-on training that smallholder fish farmers face in Nigeria.
“The project will create decent and green jobs, and open up opportunities for economic growth and empowerment for the beneficiaries,” said Mikkel.
He remarked that the project will also support the fish farmers to formalize their operations into a commercial, business-oriented cooperative. This, he said, will help them become resilient and withstand the various challenges they face individually.
Leveraging partnership to improve productivity
The Aquaculture Development project is partnering with Eriwe fish farming village in the Ogun state to anchor the project. The farm has over 1,300 individual farmers cultivating African Catfish in more than 5,000 traditional earthen ponds.
The project will showcase new technologies and practical learning experiences using the ponds as well as demonstration farms to build the capacity of the farmers.
Solidaridad is also partnering Tai Solarin College of Education, Omu-Ijebu Ogun State, Ijebu Development Initiative on Poverty Reduction, Aller Aqua, OxyGuard International, Aquamind, to provide vocational training, information and communication technology platforms for the beneficiaries.
Serving as a source of industry information
The project will also serve as a source of credible industry information and knowledge for all stakeholders, as well as support high-level interaction with government and financial institutions to enable farmers to access investment funds.
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