W’Bank Distributes 25 million Fingerlings to Farmers to Boost Nigeria’s Fish Production

A World Bank agricultural enhanced project, West African Agricultural Productivity Programme, WAAPP, has distributed over 25 million ‎fingerlings to farmers across the country.

WAAP also provided processing equipment, including detachable smoking klin, solar tent dryer and fish cooling boxes to support the fish value chain.

Acting National Project Coordinator of WAAPP-Nigeria, James Apochi disclosed this at the weekend in Abuja during an interaction with members of Agricultural Correspondents Association of Nigeria (ACAN).

He explained that the project had succeeded ‎in funding core research areas in fingerlings production, fish feed and post harvest processing. Adding that WAAP encouraged integrated development of agricultural research into technology generation, dissemination and adoption continum throughout the subregion.

“It is worthy of note that WAAPP-NIGERIA has so far distributed over 25 million to farmers across the country,” he said.

Apochi who declared that aquaculture was the priority commodity for WAAPP-NIGERIA, noted that the project had interventions in other commodities as derived from the study of International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

“It may interest you that WAAPP has recorded many success stories, aquaculture is the priority commodity for WAAPP-NIGERIA Nigeria, however WAAPP is working on other commodities which were derived from a study carried out by the International Food Policy R‎esearch Institute (IFPRI) and CORAF in 2006, and includes roots abd tubers, livestock, poultry, rice, sorghum and maize.