Fish importers due to dwindling fortunes of the naira have been turning their backs on imports at the Lagos seaports.
Fish traders and consumers are now faced with imminent scarcity of the commodity as cost soar high.
According to Vicky Haastrup, who is Seaport Terminal Operators of Nigeria (STOAN) chairman and CEO of ENL Consortium, fish vessels are avoiding Lagos ports because of the development.
“Nigerians are passing through a very difficult phase right now, economically,” Haastrup told Vanguard.
“The cost of fish has become prohibitively expensive for many Nigerians, and the ongoing forex crisis has only made matters worse.”
Haastrup highlighted that the economic strain has led to a reduction in the buying power of Nigerians, particularly fish consumers, which has further dampened demand. This has resulted in a surplus of fish in cold storage facilities across Lagos, as importers struggle to find buyers for their high-cost products.
“As I’m talking today, we are not expecting any fish vessels at ENL. A lot of fish vessels used to call at ENL regularly, but now we aren’t expecting any throughout this month,” Haastrup lamented. “This is because fish has become very expensive for Nigerians.”
The situation poses a serious threat to food security, especially for lower-income households that rely on fish as a primary source of protein. Haastrup urged the government to take immediate action to address the forex crisis and provide targeted interventions for critical commodities like fish.
“There should be some kind of intervention on the part of the government, particularly on critical items like fish, which is very important for our children’s growth.”
