Conakry – The NEPAD Agency’s successful support towards development of programmes for fisheries reform in Ghana and Sierra Leone, has led to increased interest by a number of countries in Africa seeking assistance to develop their own fisheries policy and governance reform programmes.

This success, as well as NEPAD’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) intervention in Guinea’s fisheries and aquaculture, triggered support to the fisheries and aquaculture policy reforms in the country.  Guinea’s fisheries and aquaculture sector is now acknowledged as an emerging best practice and success story.

Earlier this month, Dr Ibrahim Mayaki, CEO of the NEPAD Agency, met with His Excellency Professor Alpha Condé, president of the Republic of Guinea to discuss the organisation’s role in contributing to the achievement of ‘an increase and consolidation of the African Voice on the governance and management of high seas fisheries’ - policy objective 4.7.2 of the Pan-African Policy Framework and  Reform Strategy and the new environmental recommendations.

The visit to Guinea by the NEPAD Agency included a handover ceremony of laboratory equipment for fisheries sanitation control by Dr Mayaki to the government of Guinea. Dr Mayaki congratulated Professor Condé for his commitment to the positive reforms in the fisheries sector. He encouraged Professor Condé to continue to provide inspiration to other African leaders in support of implementation of best practices and thanked him for his role as the NEPAD Champion for Fisheries and Aquaculture in Africa.

In his remarks, the Minister for Fisheries, Aquaculture and Maritime Economy in Guinea, Honourable Andrea Loua thanked NEPAD for the support received and also lauded the leadership of Professor Condé. Hon Loua remarked that the laboratory equipment will go a long way in improving the operations of the National Office for Quality Assurance for Fish and Aquaculture Products (ONSPA).

The NEPAD Agency was also acknowledged for its unwavering support to Guinea towards the reforming of its fisheries sector by Professor Condé. In its supportive role, the NEPAD Agency works towards enabling the Republic of Guinea to establish institutional mechanisms to strengthen its fisheries and aquaculture policies; capacitate Guinea with fisheries sanitation control equipment, as well as, the technical know-how through the training of competent officials. Moreover, the support aims to empower Guinea with tools to enable technical and financial partners to align their interventions in supporting the development of the fisheries and aquaculture sector.

A key result of the interventions in Guinea, involving close collaboration between the NEPAD Agency, the African Union Inter-Africa Bureau and the Government of the Republic of Guinea, was the lifting of the fish trade ban by the European Union on the Fisheries Sector in Guinea in July 2016. Ongoing efforts through the NEPAD intervention will create a conducive and enabling environment to ensure that the fisheries and aquaculture reforms are sustainable over the long term.

The role of President Condé as the NEPAD Champion for Fisheries and Aquaculture in Africa promises many positive results for improved governance and increased benefits from the development of the Blue Economy for the continent.