Demand for Imported versus Domestic Fish in Nigeria

In Nigeria, fish consumption accounted for about 35% of consumption expenditure for animal proteins in 2015 and constituted about 10% of food consumption expenditure by the average Nigerian. The demand for fish in Nigeria has been met by a combination of domestic production and imports, with imports rising from 16% to 39% of African fish consumption between 1970 and 2017. The majority of fish consumed in Nigeria is imported, with frozen fish accounting for 34% of urban fish consumption in the North and 23% in rural areas. In contrast, the South has a higher consumption of frozen fish, with 67% in urban areas and 54% in rural areas. The difference in frozen fish consumption between regions is largely due to differences in income and refrigerator ownership. Other forms of fish, such as fresh, dried, and smoked, have less pronounced regional differences. Income and price elasticities confirm that imported fish have become deeply incorporated into fish consumption habits in Nigeria. However, elasticity results also show that Nigerian consumers are keen to consume fresh fish as incomes increase, and that demand for smoked and dried fish remains strong at high levels of income. Promoting aquaculture is a promising policy path to reduce import dependence and increase domestic fish production. Nigeria's fish production has been increasing over the years, with a 2.5-fold rise in fish output between 1970 and 2017. However, the country's population has also been growing, resulting in a per capita consumption of fish that has hovered around 10 kg for the past five decades. The gap between demand and supply has been met by rapidly rising imports, which have become a significant component of fish consumption in Nigeria. The analysis of fish consumption in Nigeria is based on nationally representative data, which provides insights into the consumption patterns of different regions and income groups. The study finds that fish consumption is an important component of food and nutrition security in Nigeria, and that changes in fish consumption have significant implications for the country's food and nutrition security. The findings of this study have important policy implications for promoting sustainable fish production and consumption in Nigeria.