How 150 women started fish farming in Yobe

Seven months ago, 150 women began fish farming through livelihood support to low-income earners across vulnerable communities, facilitated by Yobe State Emergency Management Agency on 16th June 2023.

Each woman got a combination of the water tank, five buckets, nets, fish aerators, a bag of fish feed and juvenile fish. Experts were attached to the farmers to monitor their performance and support their take-up.

Seven months later, the Daily Trust reporter follows these women who are mostly married women to see their performance, development, and challenges in their fish farming occupation.

Halima Abdulkadir, 22, a resident of Red Bricks, Maiduguri Road, in Damaturu a beneficiary, is passionate about fish farming even before the intervention.

‘‘Fish farming has been my long-term dream, so luckily my name appeared among the beneficiaries. They (SEMA officials) gave us a water tank, five buckets, nets, a fish air vibrator, a bag of fish feed and juvenile fish.

‘‘I was given 56 juvenile fish but 11 of them died due to some circumstances. Alhamdulillah I sold 45 grown fish to one of the restaurants here in Damaturu.

‘‘I spent a few months rearing them before I sold them that was why I bought two bags of their feed plus one bag that was given to me by SEMA as a startup. I can tell you that I earn a reasonable profit from this business.

‘‘Fish farming has always been my ambition to venture into, so this profit that I got motivated me to do more, that is why when I sold them and bought 85 fingerlings they are with me hoping to sell them close to the Ramadan,’’ she also said

Halima said the business is lucrative if one is lucky to have proper and modern techniques of fish farming. She is expecting good profit from her 85 fish and is planning to expand afterwards.

The success story of Halima is not far different from that of Fatima Ali Geidam, a housewife residing in Damaturu metropolitan. She said she wants to be self-reliant and not dependent on her spouse which is why she is investing in the business.

‘‘I grew up passionate about fish farming but I didn’t have the skills and money to start the business but after this initiative, the door became wide open to me.

‘‘I bought two bags of feed plus the one I was given. Out of the 50 juvenile fish, six died as a result of mortality and wounds. But with the guidance of a doctor and business colleagues, I overcame the issues, and I am making a profit.

‘‘I was told that if I bought a small number of juvenile fish, I would only make a small profit that is why I bought 300 fingerlings to expand the profit and business. As I have told you, I don’t want to rely on my husband or my family.

‘‘I wanted to buy more than 300 fingerlings but lack of a pond restricted me to the 300, hoping that when I make a profit I will expand the business, she said.

Another woman, Hafsat Saidu Saleh, a 24-year-old also residing in Damaturu said despite the challenges, one hardly recorded zero profit in fish farming and so advised women to engage in farming to make a living instead of depending on other people.

‘‘When I was given the juvenile fish and other equipment, I managed them well, I only bought one bag of feed at the cost of N15,000 plus the one I was given as a starter, and out of the 50 fish given to us, only four died.

‘‘During the training, they (facilitators) told us that they would link us with buyers when we grow them and gain weight.

‘‘I sold one kilo of fish at a cost of N1,200 making it N55,200 so if you remove N15,000 for the feed that I bought it will give you N40,200 for a woman like me such an amount is huge.

‘‘I already sent my money to the sellers of fingerlings and they assured me that they will send them to me very soon. I was told that I should sort them out of the pond and separate the big ones from the small ones. That will help them to grow and gain weight,’’ Hafsat also said.

She advised married women to think outside the box and engage in farming to make a living and not be dependent on their spouses.