House Committee on Agriculture Charges Research Institutions on Blue Economy

Oluchi Chibuzor

The House Committee on Agriculture, Colleges and Research Institution has stressed the need for agric-based government organisations across the country to synchronize their technological innovations to enable the nation harness its various aquatic resources in line with the global blue economy.

This, according to them, would escalate various economic activities within the value chains in the fisheries sub sector thereby increasing their internal generated revenue.

They made the assertion during their oversight function visit at the Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research (NIOMR), Lagos, while commending the research based institution on its various achievements since it was established in 1975.

Commenting areas the institute has recorded success is the recent agreement with the international meteorological organisation and Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) to get real time weather conditions that are useful to both private and public organisations in the country.

Explaining the reason for their visit, the Chairman House Committee on Agric Colleges and Research Institutions, Honorable Munir Babba Dan Agundi, said it was to see what they are doing in terms of their mandate that is enshrined in the constitution of the nation.

According to him, “We are expecting our research institutes to give us the best option to meet standards and discourage other nations from taking our money through value addition. So, they must begin to align themselves by synchronizing their innovation to meet the national development agenda of the government.

“We are here to ensure the appropriation of 2018, 2019, 2020; submissions made to us and we are out to see those physical projects, level of compliance with what is on ground. Also it is about the procurement act and also the level of the implementation of 2021, so that the country can be sure of what we are doing.”
He also noted that it was important that various institutions under their purview carry out their mandates in line with the act establishing them in the country.

He added, “As I said earlier one the thing I have been able to understand when I was opportune to attend a naval conference in Kano is the blue economy. Very soon an act will come to see who will manage the resources under this concept they are trying to bring, because it is important this sector must be carried along in our national development programmes.”

In his presentation, the Executive Director, NIOMR, Dr, Sule Abiodun noted that the institute remains strategically important to the nation’s quest in achieving its blue economy agenda.
“It shows that we are keeping to our mandate and development of the blue economy in support of this government agricultural policy. They are happy and in turn we expect them to support the institute more, ”he said.

Narrating recent development in the institute, Abiodun revealed that since coming onboard, NIOMR’s management has been able to revive the N3 billion acquired vessels in order to support the blue economy or rational exploration.
“We got support from America, South Africa, and Spain; in fact we are expecting some scientist from University of Michigan that will come and work with us on our vessels here,” he noted.

Meanwhile, as the country seeks to maximise its aquatic resources to increase job creation and improve livelihood of its citizen, manpower development and skill gap in the industry, the Executive Secretary, Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria, Professor Garba Sharubutu acknowledged must massively funded to develop the capacity young Nigerians interested in the sector.

Sharubutu, who reiterated the need for maintenance culture towards national assets, added that the institute has been under funded resulting in the low performance in terms of research.

“The agenda right now is that we must start training our own cadets; we are calling on the National Assembly to see how they can build into our 2022 enough budgetary allocation for us to be able to train our own cadet.
“That is the only way this place can grow and if this place grows we will be able to attract even students from offshore of this country.”

Earlier the NIOMR ED, also had intimated the honorable members of the recent interest from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), as they remain committed to help the nation in data gathering at sea.