FAO partners LASU, gives dons $95,000 grant for catfish project

A United Nations’ agency, Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) has selected the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, as National Partner Institute (NPI) for the implementation of its Support for the Development of Farmed Catfish Value Chain (FISH4ACP) project in Nigeria.

The project will run concurrently for four-years beginning this year alongside others from nine other African-Caribbean-Pacific countries.

LASU was selected by the world agency after adjudging its proposal as the best from Nigerian universities, and by this development winning a partial grant of up to $95,000 (about N37.05m) for the initial phase of the project.

The leader of the team, Prof. Shehu Akintola from the department of fisheries of the university, told our correspondent in an exclusive interview that the project is aimed at coming up with workable solutions that would form national policies towards effective value chains in catfish industry from farmers to other players down to consumers in the country.

He said Nigeria is the largest producer of catfish in Africa and the second in aqua-puncture following by Egypt but that the problem is that successive Nigerian governments have not been able to accord it significant attention.

ALSO READ: Buhari orders assistance for victims of Benin fire outbreak

He said the news of winning the project which is being supported by the European Union was conveyed to the university by FAO and to be carried out based on rules and procedures on procurement of services of the agency.

Prof Akintola, who is also the leader of the Nigerian research team, who recently won $2,496,128 million grant jointly with colleagues from some foreign universities including University of Waterloo, Canada and some non-governmental organisations, explained that that raging global coronavirus pandemic and related travel restrictions have altered the initial arrangement of the project.

According to him, due to COVID-19 pandemic, our team under this FISH4ACP project like our counterparts in other nine countries would now compress our project activities into three phases instead of six phases earlier announced by FAO but without losing initial delivery focus.

He named other team members from the university to include Dr Kafayat Fakoya, also from the same department; Dr Sherifat Yusuff from sociology department, Dr Zakariya Amoo, Mr Olusola Olabanjo as well as Yusuf Olabisi and that they would all work in conjunction with key actors in catfish business and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture.

Earlier in a statement by LASU’s spokesman, Mr Ademola Adekoya, the vice-chancellor of the university, Prof Olanrewaju Fagbohun, commended the scholars for winning the grant and urged them to optimally utilise it to solve identified problems.

He also said the university is ready to support them where and when necessary.

YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

Nigeria Not Yet Safe For Reopening Of Schools, FG Tells Govs
The Federal Government has advised the state governments not to aggravate the COVID-19 crisis by reopening of schools because of pressure from the children and parents… Read Full Story

Saudi Arabia Bars Travellers From 2020 Hajj
Nigerians and other nationalities planning to go to Saudi Arabia for the 2020 hajj may have had their hope dashed as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Monday said only persons already living in the country would participate… Read Full Story

Presidency Congratulates Ize-Iyamu Over Emergence As APC Candidate
The Presidency has congratulated Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu following his victory as the Edo State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC)… Read Full Story

Reps Probe Multi-Trillion Naira SDGs, GEEP, Social Investment Projects
House of Representatives will next week flag-off the nationwide investigation into the multi-trillion naira projects implemented under the National Social Investment Programmes (NSIPs), Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Government Empowerment Enterprise Programme… Read Full Story

COVID-19 Causes Unprecedented Jobs Crisis —UN •Says small and medium-size enterprises may not recover
THE United Nations (UN) has declared that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused an unprecedented jobs crisis across the world; while almost all workers and businesses have been affected by lockdown measures… Read Full Story

COVID-19: Livelihoods Of Over 55 Million Domestic Workers At Risk —ILO
AS a result of COVID-19 pandemic, the International Labour Organisation (ILO), said the livelihoods of more than 55 million domestic workers are at risk… Read Full Story

EDITORIAL: RMRDC And The Kilishi Breakthrough
PROFESSOR Hussain Ibrahim, the Director General of the Raw Material Research and Development Council (RMRDC), caused more than a stir recently when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Science and Technology. Asked to elaborate on the core achievements of the council, he told the committee that the… Read Full Story

Let’s Kill The Politicians
Please don’t be alarmed, it’s not the end of the world yet. Truth is, we can do without them all, I mean the politicians. We don’t need them at all to survive. But then, who actually is a politician? According to the learned authors of Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a ‘politician’ is “a person experienced in the art or science of… Read Full Story