Nigerian University To Raise N800m From Fish Farming

Prof. Hillary Edeoga

Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), Abia State has set a target of N800 million annually from catfish production.
Prof. Hillary Edeoga, the Vice-Chancellor of the school made this known while speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday in Umuahia.

According to him, a substantial part of the revenue generated internally by the institution so far, was from fish farming.

He noted that the Fishery/Aquaculture and Poultry departments have been rehabilitated to ensure their viability and productivity.
Edeoga said when he assumed office as VC, the university poultry buildings had no birds, but they now have thousands of birds.
“On assumption of duty as the vice-chancellor, l met a Fishery/Aquaculture department without a single tadpole, but today one of the sources of our internally generated revenue, is our fish pond.
“We have a project called operation produce one million catfish in a year. If you produce one million catfishes in a year, each weighing minimum of 1kg, we have gotten N800m because one catfish of 1kg cost N800.
“We rehabilitated the hatchery project. Today, the West African Agricultural Productivity Programme of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture has recognised this institution in terms of fingerling research and production. We now supply to fish farmers in the South –East,” he said.
The vice-chancellor said that in recognition of the university’s efforts in fish farming, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture donated two vehicles to the institution.
Edeoga also said that from internally-generated revenue, he had tarred all the roads in the school, adding that more projects would be implemented.