In her quest to alleviating food and nutrition insecurity among military Wives and barrack women, the President, Defence and Police Officers Wives Association, (DEPOWA), Mrs Oghogho Gwabin Musa has organised a one-day training workshop on fish farming and financial intelligence.
The fish farming and financial intelligence training workshop took place today, 21st May 2024 at the DEPOWA Secretariat, Abuja to offers a unique platform for knowledge sharing, networking and collaboration.
In her remarks, Mrs Musa said fish farming is not just a vital source of protein for millions of people worldwide; it is also a significant contributor to local economies and food security. However, to thrive in this industry, we must adopt a holistic approach that combines sustainable practices, efficient operations and financial intelligence.
Mrs Musa who also urged barracks women to make extra income for themselves through fish farming and other vocations noted that financial intelligence is the key to unlocking the full potential of fish farming. By understanding the intricacies of financial management, risk moderation and investment opportunities, we can transform our businesses and communities.
"Therefore, this workshop offers a unique platform for knowledge sharing, networking and collaboration. I encourage you all to engage in thought-provoking discussions, seek clarifications, ask questions and learn from each other’s experiences.
"The whole essence of this seminar is to empower you with the right knowledge and necessary tools that will enable you make informed decisions in your financial planning and management strategies for fish farming business. I am certain that this training will give a sense of direction and provide a means of livelihood or extra source of income to the participants.
One of the resource persons and professional fish farmer, Mr Best Tomter, said that fish farming was one of the easiest agricultural businesses that help them to begin to earn passive income as the seminar was aimed at training the women on the value chains of fish farming, adding that they could start agricultural business with as low as N150,000.
He said in Nigeria, fish is an important food source for many people, which is currently estimated at 186 million people. Increased fish production and consumption can contribute to alleviating food and nutrition insecurity
He noted that the training would teach them how they could start fish farming without really going through the stress of setting up a fish farm.
“We want a fish farm estate where intending fish farmers or agricultural enthusiasts can come, buy a pond and can also start fish farming. We are trying to impact in the women here this morning how they can have multiple streams of income.
"Fish farming is very lucrative because, currently our fish consumption in Nigeria stands at 3.2 million metric tons per annum and then what our local production produces is just 1.2 million metric tons. So you can see that we have over 2.2 million metric tons deficit in fish production currently in Nigeria. So we need people to fill up that gap and there is market for fish farming,” he said
SpyeTV News reports that the majority of households in Nigeria about 58% suffer from chronic or transitory food insecurity. Though, the role of aquaculture in Nigeria is growing, as the sector is becoming increasingly economically and politically incentivized.
