The Federal Government, through its Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, has donated fish feed and juveniles (fingerlings) worth about N21 million to 760 fish farmers in Kwara State under its Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GES).

The Assistant Director, Fishery, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Wahab Ademola, disclosed this  while addressing press men shortly after the assessment tour to farms of the beneficiaries of the GES across the three Senatorial districts of the state, saying that the scheme has significant impact on the lives of the benefiting fish farmers.

He explained that his team was in Kwara State to get feedback on the GES given to farmers last year and expressed satisfaction that the result was encouraging and impressive.

Ademola, who stated that the scheme had brought about enormous and profound effects on the country's capacity for fish production, said the project had not only increased fish production, but also enhanced job creation among the youth and retirees who pick interest in fish farming.

According to him, the visitation has afforded them the opportunity to ascertain the level of progress and development the GES has made and the subsequent recommendations and suggestions made by the farmers.

He said that the rationale behind the introduction of GES by the Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, was to basically discourage importation of fish and improve on the production of locally raised fish, which would apparently make Nigeria self-sufficient in fish production in the next four years.

While saying that the GES scheme would be a continuous exercise, Ademola pledged that the Federal Government would do everything possible to make sure that more farmers  benefit from the next tranch of GES, saying that efforts would be made to increase the number of ‘juveniles' from 500 to about 2,000 with  feeds that would feed them up to the table size.

In his comment, the Chairman, Catfish Association of Nigeria (CAFAN), Kwara State, Mr Olawale Tajudeen, said the GES  has proved to be an eye-opener and window of opportunity to many Nigerians, adding that the scheme has added more value to fish production in the country.