| The Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research (NIOMR) in Collaboration with the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) welcomed held THE LAUNCHING OF THE FARA/NIOMR CANNED CATFISH INOVATION PLATFORM on 10th of March, 2015 at NIOMR headquarters, Victoria Island, Lagos. The project is being funded by the Ghana based Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) and the Executive Director of NIOMR, Dr Gbola Akande on behalf of its management, staff and the NIOMR Catfish Innovation Platform project team Dr. Pat Anyanwu, Dr Oresegun and Mrs M. Yarhere welcomed various stakeholders to the innovation platform. |
 Cross section of participants at the One day Workshop |
| The concept itself represents a parallel shift and change in the way Aquaculture activities is being organized. Many stakeholders are not familiar with the mode of doing things so they tend to reluctant to falling inline. In other to facilitate the understanding of the concept some measure of capacity building will be required which is what the innovation platform is meant to forester among the stakeholders. The objective of the innovation platform of the different Aquaculture value chain is to effectively engage all stakeholders to develop the Aquaculture industry to create jobs, create wealth through value addition as well as increase fish production. The facilitate dialogue between main local players in value chain, i.e. Farmers, input suppliers, traders, transporters, processors, wholesalers, retailers and even regulators which is why we have participants from the Federal Department of Fisheries (FDF), Fisheries Society of Nigeria (FISON) and other NGO’s. Innovation platform identifies problems and opportunities in the production, marketing and policy environment. The process is galvanized through discussion on market requirement (i.e. Quality, Quantity and time of sale) followed by analysis from existing production strategy. The innovation platform then identifies and implements technologies to improve production to improve market demand. NIOMR Canned Catfish in Tomato sauce and Vegetable oil  The Executive Director/CEO of NIOMR Dr Gbola Akande delivering a lecture Titled Technology of Catfish Canning In a parallel and similar process, the market system is analysed and improvements to benefit all role players tabled and tested within the local context which is the idea of the innovation platform. The ED/CEO emphasised that NIOMR is there to drive the platform for the stakeholders to be involved in by bringing together various stakeholders and promoting them with a staged voice their various needs and requirement, the innovation platform generates specific solutions to align production with made requirement which will ensure better pricing for small scale producers. This one day workshop was structured in such a way as to ensure maximum benefits to all participants in the Innovation Platform concept, the setting up and management of the Innovation Platform, business plan s for operation and management. NIOMR has in place the machinery to produce the Canned Catfish and is ready to render support to interested stakeholders in achieving its success. |
Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research (NIOMR), is a multidisciplinary marine research institute and Nigeria’s prime institute for Marine Sciences.
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