Nigeria can earn N1tn from exports yearly from smoked fish, says Fishermen Association of Nigeria, Adamawa State branch.
Speaking, yesterday, at a workshop in Yola, the state capital, on fish smoking organised by the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi, Lagos State, chairman of the association, Mahmud Ali, pointed out that Nigeria had the best fishes that could attract international patronage.
Ali, who called on the Federal Government to expand the new fish smoking technology to legitimate fishermen to boost their businesses, noted fish as the best animal protein consumed worldwide.
He urged President Muhammadu Buhari to award contract for the dredging of River Benue before the third quarter of this year, noting that the project would also boost irrigation farming to improve food production in the country.
While declaring the workshop open, the Director-General of FIIRO, Dr Agnes Asagbra, said the training was meant to empower youths and women on digital entrepreneurship to boost their economic status.
The DG, who was represented by the Deputy Director, North West Region, Mr Tamasi Muktar, said the training was part of the Coronavirus Disease palliative packaged to enhance the skills of youth and women as well as encourage them to be economically self-reliant.
He pointed out that over 250 different technologies were developed by FIIRO to help government rebuild the economy through youth and women empowerment.
In her welcome remarks, the North East Coordinator of FIIRO, Mrs Tabitha Garba, noted that the three-day training was designed to equip youth and women with the new skills in digital entrepreneurship.
She maintained that FIIRO technologies were aimed towards job creation in the North East, urging the participants to take advantage of the training to re-engineer their fish businesses.
