The Government of Nigeria (GON) announced in October 2013 that it would ban fish imports over four years, and raise the import duty up from 10 percent to 50 percent, and possibly as high as 100 percent.
Late in December 2013, it replaced the import ban decision with a new policy to cut fish imports into the country by 25 percent per year by introducing import quotas starting in January 2014. The aim was to replace imports with domestic production. Nigeria’s market deficit for fish is about 900,000 million tons, worth more than U.S. $1.3 billion per year and is met by imports. Analysts indicate that this policy change will create opportunities for corruption at the ports and hike prices for the varieties of frozen fish which are now the most affordable protein sources for low-income Nigerians.
