NIOMR upgrades research facilities with Norway’s aid
The Nigerian Institute of Oceanography and Marine Research (NIOMR) is upgrading it’s research facilities and activities in order to better exploit the country’s fisheries resources. The upgrade is being funded by Norway.
According to the Norwegian secretary of state Tone Skogen who led a delegation to NIOMR in Lagos yesterday to consolidate the partnership and tour the I statute’s research vessel (RV) Bayagbona, Norway and Nigeria have a lot in common such as a long coastline, research collaborations and trade in sea resources such as stock fish.
“Our main focus is in managing our water resources in a sustainable manner, share competencies, build capacity and promote data based research,” she said.
In his remark, Norway’s ambassador to Nigeria, Jens-Petter Kjemprud urged investors to follow-up the research work done by NIOMR with investments in the fishery sector as part of efforts to attain food security.
Kjemprud added that with the necessary capacity built for NIOMR’s RV Bayagbona, other West African countries would look to it in order to develop the data of their marine resources.
In his address earlier, the Executive Director of NIOMR, Dr Gbola Akande noted that, this visit is essentially a familiarisation tour of the research vessel and inspection of the newly installed mapping and navigation software OLEX, by the Institute of Marine Research (IMR) Bergen, Norway.
According to him, NIOMR, as a marine research institute is charged with the responsibilities to conduct research into the rational exploitation of marine resources and conservation for sustainable development and healthy marine environment.
Akande noted that, presently the industry only exploits the fisheries resources in the inshore coastal waters with much fishing effort exerted thereby causing full to over-exploitation resources in the inshore area.
He asserted that the deep offshore areas are not being exploited but past and recent research findings had comfirmed the presence and abundance of both demersel and pelagic resources that can support commercial fishery.
“The use of RV Bayagbona for more research into this group of fishes will help in providing useful information for investors on the exploitation of these deep sea resources and at the same time reduce pressure on the inshore resources.
“Above all, Nigeria will be able to acheive her fisheries policy aim of ensuring national food security in fish production.
“This colloboration is being supported by the Norwegian government through her embassy here in Nigeria,” he said.
In her presentation, NIOMR Director of Fisheries Resources Department, Dr Parcy Obatola said: “The project which is divided into five (5) phases commenced in September 2016. The next training workshop will take place before December, 2016 while the remaining phases of the project are scheduled for 2017.”
She added that the expected outcomes of the collaboration will be improved skills of NIOMR scientists and enhancement of fisheries research for increased fish production in Nigeria especially from deep sea fisheries resources.
