Post by Ismail AbdulAzeez on Jul 24, 2019 18:09:56 GMT 1
GOVERNMENT ADVISED TO INCREASE SURVEILLANCE ON IMPORT OF HARMFUL FROZEN
FORMER Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Agriculture Sector Chairman, Prince Wale Oyekoya has called on the government to tighten the noose on fish smuggling.
While adressing a food and agriculture writers forum, Oyekoya said smugglers bring in frozen fish, such as tilapia and croaker through the country’s land borders, stating that the circulation of unhealthy fish and fishery products into the market, has resulted in grave health implications, such as kidney disease and cancer.
He urged the government to strengthen the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Marine Police, Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Agriculture Quarantine Service to curb the activities of the fish smugglers and increase survelliance.
He said some of the fish smuggled from China have chemicals that are harmful to health, adding that consumers of such imported products, which are cheaper than the local ones from farms, lakes and rivers, risk untold health consequences.
Oyekoya added that economic revival lay in the restructuring and revamping of the agricultural system.
“In my view, one of the most serious problem of food and agriculture in Nigeria is leadership, policy summersault mismanagement, embezzlement and corruption of public funds that are very common within government officials,” he said.
Oyekoya called for increased efforts to support agriculture, rural development, poverty reduction, asking for the country’s facilitation of an enabling environment for investors.
“Nigeria’s agricultural commodities and food import bill have on the average over N1 trillion in the past years.
These huge amount was expended on items that the country has the potential to produce locally. For instance, the import bill of rice and wheat was estimated at N428billion and N307billion in 2017 and 2018, which has continually depleted our foreign reserves,” added Oyekoya.
FORMER Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Agriculture Sector Chairman, Prince Wale Oyekoya has called on the government to tighten the noose on fish smuggling.
While adressing a food and agriculture writers forum, Oyekoya said smugglers bring in frozen fish, such as tilapia and croaker through the country’s land borders, stating that the circulation of unhealthy fish and fishery products into the market, has resulted in grave health implications, such as kidney disease and cancer.
He urged the government to strengthen the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Marine Police, Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Agriculture Quarantine Service to curb the activities of the fish smugglers and increase survelliance.
He said some of the fish smuggled from China have chemicals that are harmful to health, adding that consumers of such imported products, which are cheaper than the local ones from farms, lakes and rivers, risk untold health consequences.
Oyekoya added that economic revival lay in the restructuring and revamping of the agricultural system.
“In my view, one of the most serious problem of food and agriculture in Nigeria is leadership, policy summersault mismanagement, embezzlement and corruption of public funds that are very common within government officials,” he said.
Oyekoya called for increased efforts to support agriculture, rural development, poverty reduction, asking for the country’s facilitation of an enabling environment for investors.
“Nigeria’s agricultural commodities and food import bill have on the average over N1 trillion in the past years.
These huge amount was expended on items that the country has the potential to produce locally. For instance, the import bill of rice and wheat was estimated at N428billion and N307billion in 2017 and 2018, which has continually depleted our foreign reserves,” added Oyekoya.