The Lagos fish farming industry is dominated by non-professionals and an aging population, with 48.1% of farmers above 53 years and many farms operated by proxy by retirees and civil servants. This has resulted in a lack of technical expertise and a high failure rate among farms. Disease outbreaks are frequent, yet 47.2% of farmers rely on visual inspection and 45.3% on experience, diagnosing through trial and error rather than proper laboratory tests. As a result, farmers often misdiagnose health issues and 46.2% resort to self-prescribed antibiotics or recommendations from drug stores and co-farmers. Meanwhile, 61.3% have never received training on responsible antibiotic use, worsening antimicrobial resistance (AMR) concerns.
Despite the 82.1% demand for disease diagnosis services and 72.6% request for water quality assessments, Lagos farmers continue to struggle with technical inefficiencies. Disease mismanagement has led to 47.2% of farms experiencing outbreaks in the last month alone, forcing many farms to shut down. New entrants, mostly inexperienced and lacking technical skills, repeatedly fail, creating a vicious cycle of farm closures and fresh novice participation, making the industry increasingly unstable.
To address this, Rid Labs’ Fish Health and Management Support Program (FSP) is training young aquaculture graduates as Fish Health Managers, equipping them with modern diagnostic and management skills. This initiative will improve farm productivity, reduce antibiotic misuse, and promote sustainable practices, making fish farming a more attractive and profitable career.
With Lagos as a model, FSP will expand to Ogun, Oyo, Osun Kwara, Delta, Rivers states and Abuja, transforming fish farming into a technically sound, sustainable, and economically viable industry nationwide.