Artisanal Fisheries Development Project

The communities living in the mangrove swamps and along the Atlantic Coast are among the poorest in Nigeria. Most of the fishing villages are located within the mangrove zone and are accessible only by boat. Villages are crowded and lacking in sanitation, and there is no land for cultivation. All food other than seafood has to be brought in at high cost. Clean drinking water is extremely scarce, and health problems are widespread, especially parasitic infections, dysentery and malaria.

The project area covered the coastal areas of Akwa Ibom, Cross River and River states in south-east Nigeria , along a stretch of coastline 400 km long that includes the delta of the River Niger and extends eastwards to the border with Cameroon . The goal of the project was to boost the productivity of poor fishing communities and improve incomes and living standards, halt the decline in fish catch and increase the supply of domestically-produced fish in the country. Objectives included:

• making credit available at village level to buy fishing equipment and motorize boats
• boosting market competition so that fishing communities can buy and sell at equitable prices
• providing resources and skills training to improve living conditions in the villages
• supporting improvements in community facilities such as water supply and sanitation

Source: IFAD