The House of Representatives has passed for third reading a bill seeking to establish the Federal College of Fisheries Technology and Marine Engineering in Ngo, Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, in a move aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s blue economy and expanding technical education in the maritime sector.
The bill scaled its final legislative hurdle on Thursday after the House considered and adopted the report of its Committee on Ocean and Fisheries, presented by the committee chairman, Hon. Akarachi Etinosa Amadi.
Presenting the report, Amadi recalled that the bill was debated and passed for second reading on May 7, 2025, before it was referred to the committee for further legislative scrutiny.
He disclosed that the committee conducted a public hearing on July 14, 2025, during which stakeholders from the maritime, education and regional development sectors unanimously endorsed the proposed institution, describing it as a strategic intervention for the economic transformation of the Niger Delta.
According to him, the proposed college is designed to provide specialised training in fisheries technology, aquaculture and marine engineering, while addressing the shortage of skilled manpower in Nigeria’s maritime industry.
“The bill seeks to establish the Federal College of Fisheries Technology and Marine Engineering in Ngo, Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State. Its primary objective is to provide a statutory framework for the creation of a specialised tertiary institution dedicated to advancing Nigeria’s blue economy,” Amadi said.
He added that locating the institution in a coastal riverine community would promote technical and vocational education, strengthen fisheries management, boost aquaculture development and stimulate economic growth across the Niger Delta.
The lawmaker explained that the legislation comprises three clauses.
While Clauses One and Two amend the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria Act, Cap. A12, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, Clause Three formally incorporates the proposed college into the Third Schedule of the Principal Act alongside existing federal institutions.
He noted that the amendment would provide the legal framework for the institution’s establishment, enable it to access federal funding and empower it to carry out its mandate in fisheries technology and marine engineering.
Following the clause-by-clause consideration of the committee’s report, the House unanimously adopted the recommendations and passed the bill for third reading.
The proposed institution is expected to enhance human capital development in the maritime sector, deepen Nigeria’s fisheries value chain and support the Federal Government’s drive to unlock the vast economic potential of the country’s blue economy.
