Anambra Set To Establish Dried Fish Business Hub

CHIDIEBELE OBIKA

The Anambra State Government has concluded plans to establish a business hub for dried fish dealers in the state.

The arrangements were revealed when the Honourable Commissioner for Lands, Hon. Bonaventure Enemali, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Fisheries and Aquaculture Business Development Agency, Hon. Emeka Iloghalu, inspected the site earlier.

The centre, which will comprise dried fish sellers market section, processing/business section where smoked/dried fish will be produced, bank, park and many other amenities and infrastructures within the complex, will sit on a 2.1 hectares of land located at the former illegal settlement at Marine, Onitsha, which was demolished by the State Government last year August.

Speaking during the inspection, Hon. Enemali observed that the state has remained resolute in opening up areas that were illegally occupied by unknown persons. He pointed out that the earmarked land had previously served as den for robbers that terrorized the inhabitants of greater Onitsha metropolis and used the shanties as hideouts which informed the government’s decision of pulling them down.

Continuing, the Honourable Commissioner noted that, the team was in the area to put the land into proper use by establishing the dried fish market and business hub. In his words; “We are here to make sure that FABDA, the Agency charged with the responsibility of Fisheries and aquaculture business development in the state takes ownership of the Project”.

Moreover, he appreciated the Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, for his strong political will, which according to him has entrenched peace and tranquility in the state.

On his part, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Business Development Agency (FABDA), Hon. Emeka Iloghalu, pointed out that the Agency has designed the area to serve as a fish business hub in the Onitsha metropolitan city.

Hon. Iloghalu, who observed that although there are some activities of fish sellers at Ose Market with Onitsha as the biggest market in West Africa, the hub when completed would be composed of many departments like; dry fish sellers market section, processed fish business section where smoked/dried fish will be produced, bank, park and others.

In his words, the FABDA MD said; “This place when completed is going to serve as a major off take hub for our produced and captured fish because the hub is located on the banks of River Niger. So any captured fished will be processed immediately thereby extending the shelf life, with buyers waiting to purchase and others packaged for export. With what we are planning on building here, no fish will spoil again because of lag-time as the processing and the hub is envisaged to run twenty-four hours operations”.

Expressing his joy over the development, Mr. Odira Ekwueme, a dried fish seller at Ose and the Public Relations Officer for the Dried Fish Dealers Association, Onitsha, thanked Governor Willie Obiano for the project. He noted that the market at Ose is too small for their ever increasing population noting that the hub when built and functional would greatly alleviate their shop accommodation plight. He further prayed God to continue guiding and protecting the government of Anambra State so that such wonderful programme would be brought to fruition.