ABUJA, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)-The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has approved the digitisation of Nigeria’s fish import licensing system.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the minister described the decision as a landmark policy aimed at improving transparency, efficiency and regulatory oversight within the country’s fisheries sector.
Accordingly, Oyetola directed the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture to fast-track the rollout of the digital platform, signalling the Federal Government’s renewed drive to modernise marine administration while enhancing domestic fish production capacity.
The initiative aligns closely with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which places emphasis on economic diversification, food security, job creation and institutional reform as key pillars of national development.
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Oyetola noted that the reform is a critical step towards repositioning Nigeria’s fisheries sector for sustainable growth and increased competitiveness.
“The digitisation of fish import licensing is a major step towards eliminating administrative bottlenecks, improving transparency and ensuring that our regulatory processes align with global best practices.
This reform will not only simplify procedures for genuine operators but will also strengthen government oversight, promote accountability and support our broader objective of boosting local fish production,” Oyetola said.
He explained that the approval marks a significant milestone in the ongoing reform agenda of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, which is focused on deploying technology-driven solutions to strengthen governance, reduce bureaucratic delays and enhance accountability across the fisheries value chain.
According to him, migrating from manual licensing procedures to a digital system is expected to streamline application processes, minimise delays, eliminate duplication and significantly reduce human interference and administrative inefficiencies.
“By introducing an automated licensing framework, the ministry is positioning Nigeria’s fisheries management system to align with global best practices in maritime and aquatic resource administration,” he stated.
Oyetola further noted that, once fully implemented, the digitisation initiative will provide real-time data monitoring capabilities, enabling the ministry to accurately track import volumes, assess supply gaps and make evidence-based policy decisions.
“Improved data analytics will support more strategic planning for Nigeria’s fisheries sector, ensuring that import licences are granted in a manner that reflects national food security priorities while protecting local producers from unfair competition,” the minister stated.
He added that the digital system is also expected to enhance regulatory compliance by ensuring that only qualified and duly registered importers are issued licences, thereby curbing illegal and unregulated importation activities that have historically undermined local aquaculture investments.
Oyetola stressed that the reform is closely tied to the ministry’s commitment to revitalising domestic production.
“Nigeria has enormous potential to achieve self-sufficiency in fish production, and we must create policies that encourage investment in local aquaculture while responsibly managing importation.
Our goal is to progressively reduce dependence on imported fish by strengthening local capacity, creating jobs and supporting Nigerian fish farmers to thrive in a more competitive and well-regulated environment,” he said.
The digitisation of fish import licensing is expected to serve as a key regulatory tool to support this objective by ensuring that importation does not hinder the growth of domestic producers.
The directive also reflects the minister’s broader vision to expand indigenous fish production and reduce Nigeria’s heavy reliance on imported fish products.
Nigeria remains one of Africa’s largest consumers of fish, with demand consistently exceeding local supply.