Aquaculture innovation platform

Aquaculture Innovation Platform to WAAPP plans for post June 2011

The Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) has stated its plans to incorporate the entire membership of the RIU-assisted Aquaculture Value Chain Innovation Platform into a World Bank funded West African Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP) which is expected to take off this year.

The Nigerian Institute for Freshwater Fisheries Research (NIFFR) in New Bussa, Niger State, which is designated as a Centre of Excellence under the WAAPP initiative, has offered to host and nurture the secretariat of the Aquaculture Innovation Platform in the post-RIU era, until the platform gets fully incorporated into WAAPP later in 2011 or in 2012.

This means that aspects of the Aquaculture Innovation Platform will be taken forward - but as importantly the group will start with a high level of trust and understanding of the issues. This should help to make the WAAPP very effective.

See RIU news: Nigerian Cassava and Aquaculture Innovations Platforms plan for post-RIU era 19 May 2011

The Aquaculture Innovation Programme was planned for development in the south west - after further research it was decided that the programme would be more successful, and success would be easier to measure in an area less well developed for fish farming. So the North Central states were selected.

One significant achievement was facilitation of collaboration between two agencies National Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research (NIOMR) and Nigerian Institute for Freshwater Fisheries Research (NIFFR). Prior to the establishment of the innovation platform had no vehicle for sharing ideas or working together. A situation that had existed for 30 years.

The RIU Nigeria Aquaculture Innovation Platform was able to establish a functioning value chain innovation platform, through its ability to:

• facilitate access/uptake of producer preferred brood stock increasing the availability to farmers
• increase the supply of locally produced, high-quality, and affordable fish feed to increase productivity
• support efficient post-harvest fish handling and processing techniques giving a longer shelf-life for harvested fish and reduced post-harvest losses
• facilitate the adoption of integrated fish and vegetable farming
• foster linkages between farmers and reputable aquaculture service providers (including credit institutions) creating increased business opportunities for local aquaculture service providers

In the policy area RIU facilitated the:

• evaluation of existing policies as they affect functioning of aquaculture value chain; provide feedback and sensitize stakeholders on status of policies that are related to aquaculture value chain
• development of institutional capacity for effective participation in research into use approaches to R4D in collaboration with RIU's Central Research Team
• building capacity amongst stakeholders to improve awareness of RIU approaches to foster synergies amongst themselves
• documentation and dissemination of lessons from implementing RIU approaches to R4D

In addition they forwarded to policymakers evidence and facilitated advocacy towards an enabling policy environment for the aquaculture sector in Nigeria.

The team facilitated the following interventions:

• establishing a functional innovation platform
• assisting access/uptake of producer preferred brood stock
• producing and facilitating availability of high-quality locally produced, affordable fish feed
• building capacity development of fish farmers for efficient post-harvest fish handling and processing techniques
• supporting adoption of integrated fish and vegetable farming
• encouraging linkages between farmers and reputable aquaculture service providers and input/output markets

Aquaculture training was organised by RIU. The training objectives included:

• building the capacity of fish farmers on the right management techniques to adopt for optimum aquaculture production
• linking fish farmers in the north-central zone of the country to recognized sources of authentic fingerlings, brood stock, and certified aquaculture-related service providers - thereby to address the wide spread circulation of poor-performance fingerlings and the high incidence of quackery in aquaculture extension services
• peer learning events
• introducing participants to integrated fish farming and vegetable farming practices to demonstrate to participants how waste water from fish ponds can be utilized on adjoining vegetable gardens
• sharing useful information and ideas related to procuring the highest possible fish feed quality most cost-effectively - a major challenge faced by all fish farmers in Nigeria
• sharing information and ideas on emerging niche markets in post-harvest value addition, and tips on how the farmers can pursue the niche markets

This integrated approach has enormous potential economic, environmental and social benefits which include:

• income maximization
• efficient utilization of otherwise discarded waste water
• efficient use of land
• self-employment

The approach should also potentially increase the local supply of vegetables to rural households and to nearby urban centres.