Due to rising costs and the ongoing foreign exchange crisis, importers have started to leave fish consignments at Lagos seaports, putting Nigeria in danger of a fish shortage. Industry players have acknowledged the situation, which poses a threat to worsen food shortages in the nation.
The CEO of ENL Consortium and Chairman of the Seaport Terminal Operators of Nigeria (STOAN), Vicky Haastrup, raised the alarm about the possible shortage. Speaking outside of the 2024 SCAN Dockworkers’ Day in Lagos, Haastrup disclosed that, in sharp contrast to the typical influx, no fish vessels are anticipated to arrive at the ports this month.
According to Haastrup, “Nigerians are going through a very difficult phase, economically, right now.” She blamed the fish consignment abandonment on the growing expense of doing business, which has been made worse by the naira’s declining value and the soaring port fees. “For many Nigerians, the price of fish has become unaffordable, and the ongoing currency crisis has only made matters worse,” the speaker continued.
Haastrup emphasized that the financial burden has further decreased demand by lowering Nigerians’ purchasing power, especially among fish consumers. Because importers are finding it difficult to find customers for their expensive products, this has led to an excess of fish in cold storage facilities throughout Lagos.
As of right now, there aren’t any fish vessels scheduled to arrive at ENL. We used to get a lot of fish vessels calling at ENL on a regular basis, but this month we don’t expect any,” regretted Haastrup. “This is a result of Nigerians’ increased expense of fish.”
Food security is seriously threatened by the circumstances, particularly for lower-class households who mostly rely on fish as a source of protein. Haastrup called on the government to intervene specifically for vital goods like fish and to act quickly to alleviate the foreign exchange problem.
“The government ought to step in and help, especially when it comes to essentials like fish, which are crucial for the development of our kids,” she stressed.
She emphasized that the currency issue is still a major obstacle even if she acknowledged that the federal government has lowered taxes on several commodities.
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