Africa's aquaculture sector has great potential to help feed the rising population of a continent that is affected more than any other by problems such as climate change and malnutrition.

According to SOFIA 2022, Nigeria produced nearly 12 percent of all cultured aquatic animals in Africa in 2020, and the rest of sub-Saharan Africa enjoyed double digit growth of 14.5 percent reaching  396 700 tonnes in 2020 from 346 400 in 2019.

Recognizing its enormous potential, aquaculture is one of the key pillars of FAO's Blue Transformation which aims to respond to the growing global demand for aquatic foods. Among its targets are growth of at least 35 percent in sustainable aquaculture production by 2030.

To boost the sector, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Bank Group in collaboration with the Aquaculture Network for Africa hosted a Special Day on 15 November during the Aquaculture Africa 2023 conference in Lusaka, Zambia.