The Government of Nigeria requested the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) for assistance in establishing brackish-water fish culture in the Niger Delta area of the country. Dr. T.V.R. Pillay (India), FAO/EPTA expert, started the project in 1962 by investigating the whole area, its rainfall, tidal range, salinity and suitability of soil (see Rep.FAO/EPTA 1973). He selected a site for an experimental brackish-water fish farm. By the time he left the country in August 1964 the construction of the main dykes of the fish farm at Buguma in the Niger Delta was completed.
It was then recommended that when the fish farm became operational, studies should be conducted to obtain comparative data on the growth rate of grey mullet (Mugil spp.) and pink prawn (Penaeus durorarum), separately and in combination; growth rate and yield of tilapia (Tilapia spp.); data to study the possibility of culture of fresh-water fish like common carp (Cyprinus carpio) in waters of low salinity; data to determine the possibility of commercial culture of the oyster and to try to get FAO fellowships granted to two Nigerian officers to visit brackish-water fish culture centres in Asia to widen their experience. It was also recommended that a project for the establishment of a production-cum-training centre for brackish-water fish culture should be implemented as soon as the initial experimental work at the farm had been finished.
Dr. K.K. Nair (India) was appointed to continue this work. He took up his assignment as FAO/UNDP(TA) Inland Fishery Biologist (Fish Culture) on 17 April 1965. After briefing at FAO headquarters in Rome; in Accra, Ghana, and Lagos, Nigeria, for further briefing and to contact officials of FAO, UNDP and the Federal Government of Nigeria, he reached his duty station, Port Harcourt, in Eastern Nigeria, on 21 May 1965.
His initial assignment was for a period of about 21 months which was later extended by one year up to the end of 1967. In May 1966, the expert was granted permission to attend the FAO World Symposium on Warm-water Pond Fish Culture held in Rome, 18–25 May 1966. He left Nigeria on 16 May 1966 for Rome and, after discussions at FAO headquarters, returned to Port Harcourt on 29 May 1966. The expert was away from 19 November to 31 December 1966 on home leave. When civil strife broke out between the Eastern Region and the rest of Nigeria, he was evacuated from Port Harcourt on 8 July 1967.
After a few days' stay in Lagos, during which time the expert tried to locate suitable places for continuing the investigations, he was recalled to Rome as facilities for such work were then absent in or around Lagos. During his stay at FAO headquarters for the rest of the year, he engaged himself in studies useful for the project. In December 1967 the Government of Nigeria requested an extension of his services to continue possible investigations in Lagos, with the idea of transferring activities to the fish farm at Buguma as soon as the country attained normalcy, which was expected to be achieved very shortly. Accordingly, the expert's assignment was extended and he was transferred back to Lagos on 3 January 1968.
A rapid survey of the swamps around the Lagos lagoon and up the tidal stretch of the River Ogon was made to determine their suitability for reclamation into fish ponds. The area thus inspected, although otherwise suitable, did not have any appreciable tidal range which was hardly 30 cm. As the cost of construction and maintenance of fish ponds in such areas would be high, they were considered unsuitable under the existing circumstances. As a last resort it was decided to convert the derelict ponds of Ikoyi Park, in Lagos, into experimental fish ponds.
The Engineering Department of the Ministry of Public Works and Housing wanted a cadastral survey of the whole area made before it could offer any advice on the construction of dykes or deepening of the ponds. This survey was also carried out with demarkation of low dykes to convert the derelict ponds into six experimental ponds of 2 ha each. All this was time-consuming, but when everything was completed and permission for executing the work departmentally was obtained, the necessary funds were not forthcoming. Unfortunately, when funds were released in the first week of August 1968, the Ikoyi Park area was found to be inundated by the unusually heavy rains of the year, which prevented any earth work. One continuous week or so of dry days would have made earth work possible, but from July 1968 to the middle of November such a period did not occur.
On 12 November 1968 the expert accompanied the UNDP Resident Representative in Nigeria to Port Harcourt to visit the experimental fish farm in Buguma, which had been ‘liberated’, to assess the extent of repairs, etc., required to rehabilitate the farm for continuation of the experiments that had to be suspended when the expert was evacuated to Lagos. Discussions were held on the project with the Military Governor of the Rivers State. Both the Military Governor and his Government appeared to be keenly interested in the project and wanted to get it extended. The brackish-water fish farm was revisited on 14 November 1968. The farm appeared to have suffered from neglect. The dykes in certain places, because of normal subsidence, had become low with the result that the water at high tide flowed over such points. The reinforced concrete sluice gates had developed cracks which unless attended to at an early date, could damage the whole farm. The fish that had grown to a fairly good size were all missing from the ponds. Fishing had been prohibited in the area during the upheaval and, as a result, the price of fish became prohibitive. It was reported that a fish of 20 to 25 cm used to fetch between N£1 and N£2 in Buguma at that time. Under such circumstances it was no wonder that the farm, which had no responsible officer on the spot, was depleted of all the fish stocks.
Fishing canoes and nets, the speed-boat and engine belonging to the farm were reportedly appropriated by the rebels. Laboratory equipment, furniture and other articles in the field laboratory were looted while the doors and windows had been shot open. Repair and replacement of all these, which are quite essential for restarting the project, are expected to involve an estimated expenditure of N£ 7,000. The expert returned to Lagos on 16 November 1968 and finally left Nigeria for Rome on 13 December 1968 for debriefing and termination of assignment.
Originally, the expert's duty station, as that of his predecessor, was Port Harcourt. The experimental fish farm was at Buguma, about 32 km away in the Niger Delta area. A launch both for transport to the farm and for living accommodation while on tour was allotted for the project by the Federal Fisheries Service. Later, this was re-allotted to another section and became unavailable to the project. The absence of such a transport, and more especially living accommodation at the farm site, prevented the expert from spending as much of his time at the farm as he desired.
Mr. S.A. Wokoma, Technical Officer, Federal Fisheries Service, continued as counterpart assistant until he, with Mr. B.S. Moses, Fishery Research Officer of the Niger Delta Development Board, left the country in February 1967 on FAO fellowships. In their absence, Mr. T.E. Aggo and Mr. G. Igonifagha of the Federal Fisheries Service were instructed to act as counterpart assistants by the Director. The former, however, met with a fatal car accident and died early in March 1967. Mr. Igonifagha thereafter carried on with administrative work in Port Harcourt and later assisted with the investigations in Lagos.
Mr. Wokoma and Mr. Moses had the opportunity to visit brackish-water fish culture centres in the Far East and to study pond construction in the tidal zone and brackish-water pond management. By the time they completed their training, the conditions in Nigeria had changed. Although they appear to have returned to Nigeria, their whereabouts were not known at the time the expert left the country.
The expert assisted in the programming of fellowships and in revising the FFHC proposal for a production-cum-training centre for brackish-water fish culture which, on a reduced scale, was sponsored by the Government of Iceland. But as Nigeria, because of civil war in the country, could not utilize the funds allotted, the sponsor withdrew its support in December 1967.
FAO offers its grateful thanks to the many people who aided its expert, especially Mr. D.R. Niven, Director, Federal Fisheries Service, who was keenly interested in the project and always ready to facilitate the work. His successor, Mr. E.O. Bayagbona, continued to extend the facilities. The Niger Delta Development Board provided office and laboratory accommodation and water transport to the fish farm whenever possible, and residential accommodation to the expert.
