Nigeria’s Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola, has sanctioned the move to digitise Nigeria’s fish import licences.
The minister said in a statement that the move was a landmark policy aimed at enhancing transparency, efficiency and regulatory oversight within the nation’s fisheries sector.
Mr. Oyetola has therefore directed the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture to expedite action towards the swift implementation of the digital platform, signalling the government’s renewed commitment to modernising marine administration, while strengthening domestic fish production capacity.
According to the statement, the initiative strongly aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises economic diversification, food security, job creation and institutional reform as central pillars of national development.
Oyetola emphasised that the initiative represents a critical reform designed to reposition Nigeria’s fisheries sector for sustainable growth and 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 represents a significant step in the ongoing reform agenda of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, which seeks to deploy technology-driven solutions to improve governance, reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks and promote accountability across the fisheries value chain.
He explained that the transition from manual licensing procedures to a digital system is expected to streamline application processes, minimise delays, eliminate duplications and drastically reduce opportunities for 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 assured that when completed, the digitisation initiative will provide real-time data monitoring capabilities, enabling the ministry to accurately track import volumes, evaluate supply gaps and implement 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 added.
GIK/APA