By Sandra Chukwunyere
The Director General (DG) of the International Maritime Institute of Nigeria (IMION), Rear Admiral Thaddeus Christopher Udofia (rtd), Ph.D., has unveiled a decisive five-pillared strategic framework designed to salvage Nigeria’s collapsing fisheries, secure coastal livelihoods, and aggressively confront national food insecurity.
According to a statement signed by Bashir Ambi, Ph.D., Head, Communications & Marketing, International Maritime Institute of Nigeria (IMION), Admiral Udofia recently delivered the high-stakes roadmap during his keynote address at the Maritime Correspondents’ Organisation of Nigeria (MARCON) National Conference, held at the Rockview Hotel in Apapa, Lagos.
Speaking under the central theme, “Sustainable Fishing in Nigeria—Pathways to Growth, Food Security and Coastal Livelihoods,” the IMION chief issued a stark warning regarding the current state of Nigeria’s marine resources, demanding an immediate shift from vulnerability to disciplined execution.
“Let me be clear regarding sustainability: we cannot expect to harvest tomorrow what we ruthlessly destroy, allow others to destroy, or neglect to nurture today,” Udofia stated.
“To transition from vulnerability to long-term sustainability and food security, Nigeria must boldly chart a new course defined by disciplined execution and measurable performance indicators.”
To reverse the decline and drive socioeconomic prosperity through Nigeria’s expanding Blue Economy, IMION is advocating for the immediate implementation of five strategic pillars:
Unified Regulatory Enforcement: Nigeria should urgently harmonize the competencies of maritime security agencies, port economic regulators, and fisheries departments. The celebrated successes of the Nigerian Navy in suppressing piracy and combatting Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing must now be systematically expanded across the entire domestic fisheries domain.
Data-Driven Maritime Policy: Marine management cannot be driven by guesswork. The Federal Government should empower premier research institutions, including the Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research (NIOMR) and IMION, to generate empirical data on fish stock assessments. National policies—including catch limits, closed seasons, and marine protected areas—must be anchored on a credible scientific backbone and strictly enforced.
Aggressive Aquaculture Transition: The nation should transition aggressively from unpredictable wild-capture fisheries to technologically driven aquaculture. Deploying modern cage culture systems within coastal lagoons holds the key to rapidly erasing Nigeria’s national food deficit. Furthermore, strategic investments in cold-chain infrastructure, processing technology, and institutional training will drastically reduce post-harvest losses, transforming fishing from a speculative survival trade into a sophisticated wealth-generating enterprise for women and youth.
Advanced Intelligence Monitoring: Effective management requires accurate measurement. IMION fiercely advocates for data-driven marine spatial planning fueled by robust Blue Economy knowledge systems. Nigeria requires the immediate deployment of advanced Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) and satellite surveillance, alongside stricter enforcement of catch quotas, to ensure industrial fishing fleets leave sufficient room for nature and coastal communities to regenerate.
Community-Led Co-Management: Top-down enforcement alone cannot achieve sustainable fishing. The true heart of Nigeria’s Blue Economy beats within its millions of coastal dwellers who have lived in tandem with the sea for generations. The Government should institutionalize Community-Based Fisheries Management (CBFM) by empowering local cooperative societies and granting them legitimate co-management rights. When communities possess a legal, vested ownership stake in their marine environment, they naturally become the frontline defense against destructive practices.
