The House of Representatives has passed a bill seeking to establish the Federal College of Fisheries Technology and Marine Engineering in Ngo, Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.
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The bill, which passed third reading during Thursday’s plenary, seeks to provide a statutory framework for the creation of a specialised tertiary institution dedicated to fisheries technology, aquaculture, marine engineering and other areas connected to Nigeria’s maritime sector and blue economy.
Its passage followed the consideration and adoption of a report presented by the Chairman of the House Committee on Ocean and Fisheries, Hon. Akarachi Etinosa Amadi.
The proposed legislation is titled, “A Bill for an Act to Amend the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria Act, Cap. A12, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to Establish Federal College of Fisheries Technology and Marine Engineering, Ngo, Rivers State and for Related Matters,” and is designated as HB. 2189.
The committee’s report, which was laid before the House on November 13, 2025, requested lawmakers to consider and approve its recommendations concerning the proposed college. The report was subsequently listed for consideration during the House plenary of July 23, 2026.
Presenting the report, Amadi recalled that the House concluded debate on the general principles of the bill on May 7, 2025, after which it was referred to the Committee on Ocean and Fisheries for further legislative action.
He said a public hearing was held on July 14, 2025, during which representatives of the maritime and educational sectors, as well as regional stakeholders, examined the proposal.
According to the committee chairman, the bill received widespread support from stakeholders who considered the proposed institution important to economic development, technical education and capacity building within the coastal communities of the Niger Delta.
Amadi explained that the legislation was designed to establish the college in Ngo, a coastal community within Andoni Local Government Area, and position it as a specialised institution supporting the growth of Nigeria’s blue economy.
He said the college would provide technical training and research opportunities in fisheries management, aquaculture, marine engineering and related fields while addressing the shortage of skilled manpower in the country’s maritime industry.
The proposed institution is also expected to expand access to technical and vocational education for residents of Rivers State and other parts of the Niger Delta, particularly young people seeking professional opportunities within the fisheries and marine sectors.
The lawmaker said locating the college in a coastal and riverine community would enable students to combine classroom instruction with practical training relating to fishing, aquaculture, waterways, marine equipment and the sustainable management of aquatic resources.
He added that the institution could stimulate employment, entrepreneurship and economic activity in Ngo and surrounding communities by producing trained personnel capable of supporting commercial fishing, marine transportation, aquaculture development and other blue-economy activities.
The bill contains three principal clauses designed to amend the existing legal framework governing agricultural research and training institutions in Nigeria.
Clauses One and Two provide the statutory basis for amending the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria Act, Cap. A12, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Clause Three, described as the primary operative provision, seeks to insert the Federal College of Fisheries Technology and Marine Engineering, Ngo, into the Third Schedule of the principal Act alongside other recognised federal agricultural and research institutions.
The proposed inclusion in the Third Schedule would give the college formal statutory recognition and the legal authority required to carry out its mandate.
It would also provide the institutional foundation needed for the college to access approved federal funding and operate programmes in fisheries technology, aquaculture, marine engineering, research and related technical disciplines.
Following the presentation, lawmakers considered the committee’s recommendations and voted to adopt the report and pass the bill.
The House’s passage does not immediately establish the college as an operating institution, as the proposed legislation must complete the remaining stages of the federal lawmaking process before taking effect.
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