Nigeria, according to the Norwegian Seafood Council, is the country’s largest stockfish importer.
According to The Punch, this was revealed in Lagos, Nigeria, at an all-day interactive workshop with regulatory bodies and parties involved in the import and export of seafood, including stockfish.
Nigeria is the primary importer of Norwegian stockfish, a product with a rich culinary heritage in the country. According to the Norwegian Seafood Council, Norway exported about 10,000 metric tonnes of stockfish to Nigeria in 2022.
However, it was mentioned that in 2023, both volumes and values of exports to Nigeria and the most popular products significantly decreased.
It also added that the import of Norwegian food has been suspended due to the general downward trend in the Nigerian market as well as currency-related issues.
It went on to say that other imported species also suffered.
“Herring has a reduction of 95% in both volume and value,” it said. Volume and value of mackerel have decreased by 47% and 40%, respectively.
The Director for Africa at the Norwegian Seafood Council, Mr. Tronds Kostveit, observed that Nigerian consumers had access to high-quality stockfish.
He mentioned that the importing, storing, and selling of the stockfish employed a large number of Nigerians.
“Our stockfish is of top quality,” he declared. We are thrilled that this fish, which is the best in the world and in Norway, is now a staple of Nigerian cuisine.
Kostveit mentioned that it made the decision to have a workshop for competence building in aquaculture, and how Nigeria could export and make more forex asides from oil.
The seafood industry made a significant contribution to the economy and food supply, according to the Minister of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari.
He stated that the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics reported that Nigeria exported frozen prawns valued at N5.13 billion during the first quarter of 2013.
He added, “It also creates jobs throughout the whole value chain, from fishing to processing and marketing.”
