WorldFish Appoints Dr. Charles Iyangbe To Tackle Nigeria’s Fish Supply Gap

News in brief:

-Nigeria faces a huge fish supply gap, producing only about a third of its annual demand of 3.6 million metric tons, forcing the country to spend over US$1.2 billion on imports.

-Dr. Charles Iyangbe, with 25+ years of agricultural development experience, has been appointed by WorldFish to lead strategies that expand aquaculture, support Nigerian farmers, and build resilient aquatic food systems.

Nigeria eats a lot of fish, roughly 3.6 million metric tons each year. The problem? Local farms and fisheries only produce about a third of that amount. The rest is brought in from abroad, draining about $1.2 billion from the country annually.

Against this backdrop, WorldFish, a global research organisation under CGIAR, has appointed Dr. Charles Iyangbe as its new Country Representative in Nigeria. His mission is clear: to reshape Nigeria’s aquatic food systems to boost domestic fish production, cut reliance on imports, and improve national food security.

Why It Matters

Aquatic food systems might sound like jargon, but they're simply food that comes from water. Fish, shellfish, even aquatic plants. For Nigerians, especially small farmers, it’s both an income stream and a source of daily protein. When supply falls short, it’s not just diets that suffer; rural incomes take a hit too.

Speaking about the mission, Dr. Iyangbe shared on LinkedIn: “WorldFish’s focus in Nigeria will be on collaboration with government, private investors, and development partners to strengthen our fish value chains.”

A Long Track Record In Agriculture

This isn’t Dr. Iyangbe’s first big challenge. With more than 25 years in agriculture and development, he’s worked at the global and local level:

• At Abt Global, he drove growth strategies in West Africa.
• With Heifer International, he built bridges with funders and governments to boost farm livelihoods.
• At USAID Nigeria, he worked as a Senior Agriculture Economist, shaping food security and trade programs like Feed the Future.
• Earlier, at Catholic Relief Services, he coordinated grassroots projects in farming and economic development.

That mix of policy work and hands-on development gives him a rare edge where he can talk strategy in a boardroom but also understand the farmer at the pond level.

The Bigger Picture For Farmers

The fish deficit doesn’t just hit consumers. It eats into Nigeria’s foreign reserves and makes the country vulnerable to global price spikes. Aquaculture farming fish in controlled systems offers a way out. Done right, it creates jobs, lowers prices, and keeps more money circulating locally.

Across Africa, climate-smart aquaculture, better feed, smarter water use, and disease control have already shown success. Scaling those approaches in Nigeria could help small farmers turn fish farming from a survival activity into a profitable business.

Looking Ahead

This appointment also brings Dr. Iyangbe back into the CGIAR family, where WorldFish is tackling big-picture food system challenges. Expectations are high: if he succeeds, Nigeria could cut its massive fish import bill and build a stronger, more resilient food economy.

As one industry insider put it: “Fish is not just food, it is income, health, and hope for millions of Nigerians. Closing the gap between demand and supply is urgent.”