Firm Inaugurates 160-hectare Shrimp Farm in Lagos

• Firm Inaugurates 160-hectare Shrimp Farm in Lagos

A fishing company, Atlantic Shrimpers Limited, has inaugurated a 160-hectares shrimp farm in Lagos.

A statement from the firm indicated that the farm, the first of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa, would hatch, nurture and process shrimps that would serve both local and export markets.

The statement quoted the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, as saying that the clarion call for investments in the agriculture sector had been answered by the ASL.

The governor, who was represented by the state Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Oluwatoyin Suarau, said, “The Nigerian government is keen to support local investments in agriculture. We must start looking inward and encourage development in areas where Nigeria has a competitive advantage.

“The ASL has led the way by building this impressive facility. This farm will employ many Nigerians and help the Nigerian economy generate foreign exchange when the products are exported. It will also go a long way to address food security in the country.

“I am happy when people bring such investment to the Centre of Excellence; but I am even happier when such investment is not just what people want but what they actually need. The ASL has addressed several needs in Nigeria through this state of the art facility and Lagos State is proud to play host to it.”

The Managing Director, ASL, Kamlesh Kabra, was quoted as saying, “This new shrimp farm is a proof of the company’s continued dedication to investing in Nigeria. The company’s tropical shrimps are distributed worldwide to over 20 countries, including all the European countries and the United States of America, bringing the much-needed foreign exchange into the Nigerian economy. This farm will substantially increase our export volumes and foreign exchange generation.”

The Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Mr. Olusegun Awolowo, was quoted as saying that the opening of the largest shrimp farm in sub-Saharan Africa by Atlantic Shrimpers could not have come at a better time, adding that the shrimp farm initiative fell under the One-State-One-Product programme, in which Lagos as a state was focusing on fisheries.

He said, “The NEPC has the statutory role to champion the campaign of diversifying the nation’s export, and the ASL, which is the number one company in the fishery sub-sector, has also ranked among the top 20 non-oil exporting companies in Nigeria for the past six years. We are therefore proud to be associated with the firm.”