Growing Catfish on City Rooftops in Nigeria

Catfish farming in Nigeria

Catfish farming in Nigeria

Nigeria is working hard to solve the problem of depleted fish stocks by creating urban fish farms. Babatunde Akiodie was finding work hard to find until he discovered how to grow fish on the roof top above his wife’s hairdressing salon.  Using cheap concrete tanks and a well dug for $500 and some fingerlings he was in business. Now his life has turned around and he sounds like he has fallen under a spell  “it is beautiful working with fish very very beautiful”.  He sells the catfish in the market three times a week and teaches others how to do it.

However I can’t help thinking how much more sustainable this micro enterprise could be  if  Babatude  turned it into an Aquaponics system.  The water wouldn’t go  to waste and  a second crop would expand his market and income.  Nonetheless this is a marvelous example of  enterprise   and urban sustainability something cities  everywhere could learn from.