The American Soybean Association’s (ASA) World Initiative for Soy in Human Health and Sejfarms Consult Limited are building on their three-year-old relationship by signing a Memorandum of Understanding for even greater collaboration to advance Nigeria’s fish production. While Wheaton farmer Jamie Beyer looked on, the MOU recognizes the significant role that high-quality soy-based feeds play in achieving regional aquaculture sector growth and success.

Nigeria is the largest aquaculture fish producer in sub-Saharan Africa, accounting for 52 percent of the total farmed fish production in the region, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Yet, Nigeria has a 2 million metric tonne (2.2 U.S. tons) deficit, needing 3.2 million metric tonnes (3.5 U.S. tons) of fish annually while current production stands at 1.2 million tonnes (1.3 million U.S. tons) Fish feed is considered a bottleneck to future growth of Nigerian aquaculture.

“This MOU demonstrates that we are strengthening our commitment to encourage the growth of Nigerian aquaculture with WISHH. Together, we are creating new opportunities for young people to be trained in aquaculture, including high-quality feeds,” said Sejiro Michael Oke-Tojinu who leads SejFarms Consult along with his wife and business partner, Mosunmola Oke-Tojinu. Their fish farm and valued-added food processing business are the host site for WISHH’s United Soybean Board-supported training program for young professionals in aquaculture.

“Deepening WISHH’s relationship with Sejfarms is an example of the win-win partnerships that WISHH builds in emerging and developing markets to grow trade for U.S. soybean farmers,” said Beyer, a director with the the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association and ASA who joined WISHH’s trade team in Nigeria. “WISHH is able to create these key relationships by leveraging soy checkoff support with U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service programs, such as the Regional Agricultural Promotion Program.”

“USB has invested in WISHH’s work with young aquaculturists because it lays the foundation for increased U.S. soybean meal demand and for our crop to play an even greater role in global food security,” said USB Director Nancy Kavazanjian, a Wisconsin soybean farmer who also joined the WISHH trade team in Nigeria.

Kavazanjian spoke at WISHH’s August 19 dialogue at Sejfarms that convened top Nigerian aquaculture leaders.

MSGA Director Jamie Beyer (front right) gets a firsthand look at Nigeria’s aquaculture industry on a trade mission sponsored by WISHH.

“WISHH’s program allowed me to highlight how U.S. soybean farmers take great care to grow, harvest and transport our soybeans, using sustainable methods that help protect the environment, enrich our soils and produce soybeans with high-quality protein that contain the essential amino acids needed for human and animal health.”

WISHH is also working with feed manufacturers and other businesses to grow Nigeria’s aquaculture feed sector, which remains underdeveloped, largely due to high production costs. Feed is the largest single cost in fish production, often 60-70% of a farmer’s costs. Many of WISHH’s activities are in the southwestern part of the country that accounts for over 75 percent of feed mills in Nigeria. A Nigerian fish farm that worked with WISHH’s aquaculture technical team increased its feed use by 326% (equates to 235 MT) and increased fingerling production by 500% (now producing 1 million fingerlings).

“They’ve been on U.S. farms before, they want the product, they know our product is the highest quality,” Beyer said.

Nigeria has a population of 221 million, half of which are 19 and under, in a geographical size that’s about a third bigger than Texas. Beyer said the trade mission brought to light for her some logistical challenges in delivering U.S. Soy in bulk to international markets.

“It was an interesting trip that demonstrated the population density of Nigeria, along with the infrastructure issues that can limit trade,” she said. “The conditions of roads and infrastructure are such that it makes bulk deliveries of commodities difficult, although their ports are able to receive shipments. They recognize they have some challenges.”

WISHH develops agricultural value chains in developing and emerging markets, creating trade and long-term demand for U.S. soy, through the improvement of health, nutrition and food security. WISHH is a program of the American Soybean Association. WISHH implements educational programming and partnerships with support from the United Soybean Board and Qualified State Soybean Boards.