1. DATA FOR BETTER LIVES: A NEW SOCIAL CONTRACT
PROJECT: DRIVING INCLUSIVE GROWTH THROUGH INTEGRATED DATA SYSTEM
BONNY ISLAND: OPTIMISING OPPORTUNITIES IN THE FISHING
INDUSTRY
DATE: 13th November 2021.
NAME: HALLIDAY, AJEYEDIGHA EVIDENCE
COUNTRY: NIGERIA.
Introduction:
Data holds huge and almost unlimited potentials for delivering value in development ecosystem
however, most of these potentials don’t get realised especially in low-and middle-income
countries (like Nigeria) owing to the near unavailability of data. Most less developed countries
(LDCs) of Sub Sahara Africa and South Asia among others are lagging regarding global
development standards. This among others has contributed mostly by lack of inclusive data for
all sectors of the economy. This huge challenge could be addressed by developing and
operationalizing an Integrated National Data System (INDS) in low- and middle-income
countries. To maximise development strategies, key attention needs to be paid to achieving a
structural functionality of the INDS system by this we refer to the following:
▪ Data functions - data production, validation, protection, use, share and re-use
▪ Participants - government entities, civil societies, academia, the private sector
and international organizations.
▪ Pillars - Infrastructural policies, laws and regulations, policies, etc.
▪ Foundations - Human capital, Trust, Funding, Incentives, etc.
Brief Overview
Bonny Island which shares shore linkage with the Atlantic Ocean is one of the twenty-three
local government areas of Rivers State, Nigeria. It is home to about 302, 000 persons (NBS,
2016). As a location bounded by salt water round about, the main traditional economic stay of
residents of the Island is fishing. However, in the past ten years, this profession is almost going
extinct not due to reduction or lack of fishery universe but sheer absence of data keeping,
production, harmonization and sharing among stakeholders for the industry. These
stakeholders include the Island’s local council leadership, fishermen, residents, financial
intermediaries, etc. This data gap has seen an Island whose monthly income per capita from
2. commercial fishery related enterprise was averagely 2,500 dollars fifteen years ago to as low
as 500 dollars today. Worse still, an Island that has abundance of varied species of fish within
its borders now imports them to the Island from neighbouring communities like Ogoni, Ngo
Town (Andoni), Opobo even from Port Harcourt. Worst of it all is the significant influx of
Multinational Oil Companies (MOCs) which has tricked in in the past ten years. These
companies have tended to lower the opportunity cost of fishing thereby reducing incentives for
engaging in the traditional economic endowments of the Island (fishing). The industry may
very soon become history if steps around data integration, production, sharing, and literacy
especially among stakeholders withing this sector are not taken seriously.
Challenges & Solutions
Some notable challenges that contributed to the abysmal performance of the sector in recent
years include:
(i) Absence of data on available species of fish products – Usually, different seasons
produce varied species of fish and fish related components like prawns, oil star,
crab, periwinkle, etc. Relevant information on the specie of fish to expect for each
seasonal period is not readily available to consumers from fishermen on real time
basis. This therefor, creates to usage gap from harvest of fishermen on the Island.
Persistence of usage gap creates a disincentive among fishermen and investors in
that space from even breaking even in their operations.
Solutions
(a). Establishment of a central data office in the local government council.
This central data office would be response for receiving information from
fishermen on the specie of fish that would be available based on the tidal
characteristics of the sea while this office communicates same to the community to
create an informed consumption decision among both residents and the external
community that patronize the local industry. Also, to enable easy transfer of this
information to the central data coordination office, the local council office should
train the local fishermen on how to transmit such information through text
messages in real time to the office. If this is done, consumers from within and
outside the borders of the Island would be able to adjust their purchase decisions
appropriately in line with available fish species and what market these could be
procured.
3. Model reflecting Central Data Coordination system for fish products
(ii). Lack of Scale and Scope of production.
As production and sales expand it would lead to lesser consumption gap for fish
thereby enhancing profit index for the stakeholders. This would give rise to the
need to scale up and enlarge scope. To do this, there would be need to require the
services of financial intermediaries. Again, data on companies’ history of
performance would be required by financial services institutions. This makes it
necessary for data literacy training to done for fishermen and other practitioners in
the industry as this is very crucial for financial inflows from banks to be achieved.
(iii). Lack of harmonized domestic markets for fish products.
While individuals or firms engaged in fish product scale up production, their would
ne the need to harmonize the domestic markets for fish products. Currently,
different markets on the Island offer marketing services for fish. Some of them are
the Agajia market, Agalanga Market, Main town Market, Park Market, among
several others. This arrangement makes it cumbersome for consumers of the
product to identify with ease markets where these products could be found. To
solve this challenge, the central data office at the local council should coordinate
and harmonize markets for this product and convey same to the public. This could
be facilitated by obtaining information from the fishermen regarding the markets
nearest them.
The model on the left describes how enabling a
centralized data sharing system for fish products
holds the key for linking the supply side to the
demand side while the Central data office at the
local government council serves as a fulcrum for
this integration.
This model could also be functional using mobile
phones by fishermen by sending of text messages
to the central data office while the office passes
same to the demand side.
4. Conclusion:
Data is central to promoting development outcomes in line with the targets spelt out by the UN
Sustainable Development Goals. However, unless data governance is formalized and integrated
the low- and middle-income countries would see these development goals as mere mirage.
Summary:
The project reviews how tapping on the potentials of data, developing, and integrating a central
data system could serve to effectively link the demand and supply side for fish products thereby
reducing the consumption gap that has existed using the Bonny Fish products industry as a case
study. The policy suggestions from the study holds that once this mechanism is adopted and
meticulously implemented, there would be massive improvement in the markets for fish
products both locally and externally. Off course, this would not only lead to survival of the
industry on the Island, but it would enable the industry to thrive in the long run.
Pictures of Bonny Fishing Settlements and Markets.
Source: Google, 2021.
Abbreviations:
NBS – National Bureau of Statistics.
INDS – Integrated National Data System.
