Fish Farming in Nigeria..... Ways to Create Self-employment for Youth


 Fish farming is one of the numerous ways to create self-employment in Nigeria but of course it is one of the neglected aspect of agriculture in Nigeria.
It's a fact that there are lots of potential money generating avenues in the agricultural sector that is yet abandoned and neglected by Nigerians.
Most Nigerians are confortable white a white collar job that pays few thousand naira monthly while neglecting the benefits that comes with self employment.
Fish Farming is a potential employment opportunity in Nigeria, and it is simple to set up a fish pond in your own back yard and it require very little initial capital.
I believe that production of more fish will definitely answer to the increasing global meat demand, it is gathered from CNN that a meal of fish contains nutrients that is very beneficial to human health when compared with other kind of meat eaten by humans. It is very low in bad fat but rich in "good fat" which aids anti bodies in fighting diseases.
Fish is more nutritious when compared with meat from cow, pig or goat. So if anything, more fish farms should be build round about the country and any Nigerian that is enterprising enough can tap into the unending resources that could be generated from a fish farm when it is properly managed.


Setting Up A Fish Farm - Fish Pond
Setting up a fish pond can be very easy and feasible with the right tools, materials and of course - technical know-how. The most cost effective way to construct a fish pond is to make one locally at your own back yard, I guess I have said that before. The digging of the fish pond and every other necessary steps can by carried by you and your friends, no need to pay for manual labor.

The construction of a fish pond requires an area of land in your back yard, say, (7m by 10m rectangular area). 
 
Other Fish Farming Requirments
1. Water supply (you can fetch from a nearby stream). 2. Pond plant (that effectively oxygenates the water and also create a shield for fishes), if you know to identify this pond plant, you can pick from a nearby fish pond. 3. Cement(for the construction of the pond).
Pond Plants
Pond plant helps in regulating the temperature of the pond and it makes the pond look similar to their natural habitat. There are about three kind of pond plants
Submersed or oxygenating pond plant
These plants includes Lotus and water lilies, they grow and blossom in the pond totally submerged including the leaves, attaching their roots at the bottom of the pond. These plants generate oxygen from the leaves for aquatic lives and also create cover and a spawning environment for the fishes. It blossoms when fertilized with fish safe fertilizers
Floating Pond Plants
This kind of pond plant floats on the surface of the pond, it provides shades for the fishes on a sunny day and helps in regulating relative temperature. Example of this plants includes Water Hyacinths and Water Lettuce, these pond plants could be collected from the surrounding of a river (or ordered online) and artificially planted in your own pond.
 
Deep Water Plants
This kind of plant grow out of the surface of the water, they have their roots often attached to the bottom of the pond with its leave right above water, it beautifies the ponds, creating a sort of security for the smaller fishes. All these plants are necessary when it comes to fish farming and building a pond that would sustain aquatic life.

Making a Fish Pond
You dip up a 7 by 10m hole on the designated area, about 2 to 5 ft deep and cover up with a mixture of cement, sand and gravel (this is done to prevent water from leaking away to the surrounding soil.
Then fill up with water( be sure to check the alkaline level if it is the same with their natural habitat), it is very necessary to fill up and drain the pond for about two to four time to remove chemicals accompanying the cement. introduce the pond plants, allow the the pond for a period of a week or more before introducing the fingerlings.
NB: the surface and the surrounding of the pond can be decorated to your taste. Setting up a pond like this could take anything from $250 to $400 or even less. Now that is how to set up a fish pond, you can see that fish farming is a viable source of income for the unemployed Nigerian youth.

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