The Lagos State Catfish and Allied Farmers Association of Nigeria (LASCAFAN) says it plans to train and equip 500 youths in aquaculture and fish farming before the end of 2026.
LASCAFAN Chairman, Mr Olatoye Fajimi, disclosed this in an interview with reporters on Thursday in Lagos.
Fajimi said the association has intensified efforts over the past three years to attract young people into aquaculture in order to address the ageing workforce in the sector.
“As a business and as an association, we have prioritised training young people in aquaculture because we have identified a significant skills gap among the younger generation,” he said.
“Currently, about 70 per cent of fish farmers are between 50 and 60 years old. We are therefore encouraging more young people to join the sector.
“We have partnered with several training institutions to provide practical, hands-on experience for youths aged 18 to 35 who are interested in agriculture.”
Fajimi noted that LASCAFAN members have already trained nearly 200 students in various aquaculture programmes this year alone.
“Our target is to train about 500 students before the end of the year, and we are optimistic of achieving it,” he added.
The association has partnered with the Lagos Agripreneurship Training Institute in Araga, Epe, to provide practical internship opportunities for trainees.
According to Fajimi, the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture and Food Systems runs a programme that offers one month of classroom training followed by three months of farm internship.
“At the beginning of the year, we approached the institute’s management, and since then two batches of students have been posted to farms operated by LASCAFAN members,” he said.
He explained that the association took this step because some farms previously used for internships were either non-functional or not operating at full capacity. LASCAFAN therefore offered its members’ functional farms to ensure trainees gain meaningful practical experience.
Fajimi said the association has so far received about 20 trainees under the Lagos Agripreneurship Programme (LAP), who have been deployed across member farms and are receiving mentorship.
The association has also hosted students from tertiary institutions undergoing the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) and other internship programmes. It has received 16 SIWES students from the University of Ilorin, 12 from the University of Agriculture, Makurdi, while another batch of 31 students from Olabisi Onabanjo University is expected soon.
Fajimi added that LASCAFAN has set aside N500,000 to support outstanding final-year agricultural projects in selected universities.
