Senate has passed for second reading, a bill seeking to establish the Federal College of Fishery and Aquatic Science in Toto Local Government Area of Nasarawa state.
This followed the presentation of the general principles of the bill by the sponsor, Sen. Wadada Aliyu at plenary on Tuesday.
Presenting the bill, Aliyu said the bill sought to amend the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria Act, 2004 to establish the federal college of fisheries and aquatic Sciences in Umaisha in Toto local government area of Nassarawa.
He said the bill would bolster the development of fisheries and aquatic sector in Nigeria for purpose of enhancing food security, economic growth and sustainable management of aquatic resources.
According to him, Nigeria endowed with abundant aquatic resources with vast potential for fisheries and aquatic science development, is however facing various challenges.
He listed the challenges to include; inadequate skilled manpower, outdated technology, limited research and absence of training institutions for the sector.
He said establishing the institution would be a strategic intervention to address the challenges and harness full potential of Nigeria’s aquatic resources.
He said the college shall have the mandate to provide high quality education, research and training in fisheries and aquatic sciences.
Wadada said the college shall collaborate with relevant stakeholders including government agencies, research institutions, industry players and international partners to enhance its effectiveness and impact.
“The establishment of the College will contribute to the development of skilled manpower in the fisheries and aquatic sector, thereby addressing the current shortage of qualified personnel.
“The College will serve as a hub for research and innovation in fisheries and aquatic sciences leading to the development of new technologies, practices and solutions to enhance productivity, sustainability and value addition in the sector.
“The College will support entrepreneurship, job creation and economic development in the fisheries and aquatic industries thereby contributing to poverty reduction and national prosperity,” he said.
President of Senate, Godswill Akpabio, after the bill passed second reading, referred it to the Committee on Agriculture for further legislative input and to report back to plenary in two weeks. (NAN)
