CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Agriculture is the major economic activity of developing economies. In Nigeria, agriculture provides food for the increasing population; supplies adequate raw materials to growing industrial sector; is a major source of employment; generates foreign exchange earnings; and provides market for the products of the industrial sector (Okumadewa, 1997; World Bank, 1998; Winters, Janvry, Sadoulet and Stamoulis, 1998; Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO (2006) as cited in Eze, Lemchi, Ugochukwu, Eze, Awulonu and Okon 2010).

Fish is a very important agricultural product in the country as it occupies a prime place in the economy of the country. The term fish is a diverse group of animal that live and breathe in water by means of gill. Fish is one of the most diverse groups of animals known to man with over two thousand five hundred species. There are more species of fish than all other vertebrate (Eyo, 1992). The fishery sector is estimated  to contribute about 3.5% to Nigeria’s  Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and also provides direct and indirect employment to over six million people (Kwara State Government, 2010). The employment opportunities come from different fishing activities such as production, processing, preservation and transportation (Ali, Gaya and Jampada, 2008). The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN (2005) report shows that the contribution of the fishery sector to the GDP of Nigeria rose from  N76.76 billion in 2001 to N162.61 billion in 2005.

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