Ibadan – The West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme on Saturday in Ibadan distributed 60,000 fingerlings to farmers from Ogun.
Speaking during the ceremony, the WAAPP’s acting National Project Co-ordinator, Mr James Apochi, said the programme was to support efforts of the Federal Government to attain self sufficiency in fish production.
Apochi explained that the gesture would, by extension, create jobs, increase farmer income and contribute to ending poverty in line with the Sustainable Development Goal objectives.
WAAPP is a World Bank sponsored programme under the auspices of the ECOWAS, designed to increase productivity and enhance sub-regional integration.
Apochi explained that part of WAAPP’s mandate was to create enabling environments for sub-regional cooperation in technology, dissemination and adoption.
He said WAAPP was improving the capacity of stakeholders in the Aqua culture sub sector including the Department of Fisheries and Aqua Culture Management, University of Ibadan.
Apochi also said that the fingerlings being distributed to farmers were produced by the department through WAAPP support.
The coordinator said that there was a wide gap between demand and supply of fingerlings required for the aqua culture sub-sector, which must be met if Nigeria was to be self sufficient.
He congratulated the beneficiaries and urged them to effectively manage their farms for the production of healthy fish for Nigerians.
The coordinator said WAAPP would continue to support farmers with the ultimate aim to drive home the “Change Agenda’’ of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mr Adedapo Segun expressed the gratitude of the farmers for the support given to them by WAAPP.
Segun said that the gesture would help to reduce their cost of production and increase their income after harvest.
He also urged WAAPP not to relent in its effort to support peasant farmers, and called on other organisations and well-to-do individuals to emulate WAAPP for Nigeria to feed its self.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that this is the third batch of fingerlings to be distributed to farmers in the South West. (NAN)