Forex, High Charges Halt Fish Import To Lagos Port

No fish vessel is expected at Lagos Port this month due to the soaring costs and high foreign exchange to bring the consignments to the country.

The Chairman of the Seaport Terminal Operators of Nigeria (STOAN) and Chief Executive Office of ENL Consortium, Vicky Haastrup, raised the alarm over the potential scarcity of the seafood at a forum in Lagos, saying that no vessel would berth at the ports with fish this month.

Haastrup said: “As I’m talking today, we are not expecting any fish vessels at ENL. A lot of fish vessels used to call at ENL regularly but now we are not expecting any throughout this month. “This is because fish has become very expensive for Nigerians.

“Nigerians are passing through a very difficult phase right now, economically. The cost of fish has become prohibitively expensive for many Nigerians and the ongoing forex crisis has only made matters worse.”

Haastrup attributed the abandoned consignments to the rising cost of doing business, noting that this was aggravated by the depreciating value of the naira and high port charges.

She highlighted that the economic strain had led to a reduction in the buying power of Nigerians, particularly fish consumers, which had further dampened demand.

She explained that there was surplus of fish in cold storage facilities across Lagos as importers struggle to find buyers for their high-cost products. The situation poses a serious threat to food security, especially for lower-income households that rely on fish as a primary source of protein.

Haastrup urged the government to take immediate action to address the forex crisis and provide targeted interventions for critical commodities like fish.

She said: “There should be some kind of intervention on the part of the government, particularly on critical items like fish, which is very important for our children’s growth.”