By Edwin Nwachukwu
The Norwegian Seafood Council will on April 19 holds a one-day interactive workshop with stakeholders and regulatory authorities involved in stockfish and seafood imports and exports trade in Nigeria.
108scoop.com reports that the event will take place at the Eko Hotel and Suits, Victoria Island, Lagos by 9.30 a.m.
Norway and Nigeria have long traditions in working together; as the Export of Stockfish started as early as the 1890s, and it is today enjoyed by Nigerians all over the country and is now an important part of the Nigerian Cuisine.
Norwegian Stockfish has high nutritional benefits in addition to the widely appreciated taste. Stockfish Heads are currently more or less the most affordable protein for a vast majority of Nigerians in the low-income bracket.
Many livelihoods depend on stockfish trade as both men and women are involved in its sales in all the Nigerian markets.
The one-day interactive workshop is aimed at strengthening relationship between the Norwegian Seafood Council, the Federal Government Regulatory Authorities involved in the imports and exports of stockfish and seafoods products in Nigeria, stockfish importers and dealers, as well as shipping agents.
A key objective of the workshop will be a further update of the appeal of stakeholders involved in stockfish and stockfish heads imports to the Federal Government of Nigeria to review the inclusion of stockfish and stockfish heads from the list of items not valid for Official Foreign Exchange.
For despite the popularity of stockfish in Nigeria, it does not pose a threat to the encouragement of an increased local production of fish in Nigeria as the imported volume is relatively low and it does not involve repatriation of a lot of Foreign Currency as compared to other items on the list.
To show the goodwill of the Norwegian Government through the Norwegian Seafood Council for the Promotion and Re-entry of Nigerian farmed fish Products into international markets of E.U, and the Americas; the Norwegian Seafood Council conducted a Capacity Building/ Training for Fisheries Officers/Stakeholders involved in Fish Farming and Processing for Export of Nigerian Farmed Fish Products in May 2022 in Lagos, Nigeria.
The challenges encountered by the operators in the imports of stockfish and stockfish heads is also expected to be discussed.
A communiqué is expected to be generated by the stakeholders towards achieving the purpose of the interactive workshop.
In view of the above, and as a key stakeholder and Federal Government Regulatory Authority in the Stockfish and Seafood Import Business in the country; the council expects stakeholders the presence and participation at the workshop.
Stakeholders are also expected make a short presentation on the Requirements and Regulations involved in the Importation of Stockfish and Other Seafoods into Nigeria.
