A national survey data for the technical and economic assessment of African catfish production in Nigeria before and during the COVID-19 period

Olanrewaju Femi Olagunju; Dadi Kristofersson; Tumi Tómasson; Theódór Kristjánsson

doi:10.1016/j.dib.2023.109917

A national survey data for the technical and economic assessment of African catfish production in Nigeria before and during the COVID-19 period

Data Brief. 2023 Dec 6:52:109917. doi: 10.1016/j.dib.2023.109917. eCollection 2024 Feb.

Authors

Olanrewaju Femi Olagunju^{1

2}, Dadi Kristofersson², Tumi Tómasson³, Theódór Kristjánsson⁴

Affiliations

¹ Federal Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Abuja, Nigeria.
² Department of Economics, School of Social Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland.
³ UNESCO GRÓ-Fisheries Training Programme, Marine and Freshwater Research Institute, Hafnarfjörður, Iceland.
⁴ Marine and Freshwater Research Institute, Hafnarfjörður, Iceland.

Abstract

This data article presents a dataset obtained from a national survey of African catfish production in Nigeria. The African catfish is an important aquaculture species in various regions in the world and it is, after Tilapia, the most commonly cultured fish in Africa. Nigeria's share in the global production of African catfish exceeds 67 %. The dataset encompasses data collected from ten major catfish-producing states in Nigeria, with a focus on two distinct periods: before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 609 operations were captured for the pre-COVID and 509 for the COVID period. The dataset includes a wide array of variables, covering the cost and quantities of inputs and outputs, socioeconomic factors, market dynamics, feed types, challenges faced by farmers, scale of production, and farmers' level of experience. It offers valuable insights and opportunities for various stakeholders. Researchers can utilize it to explore production performance, resilience, and adaptation strategies. Industry players, including catfish farmers and suppliers, can make data-driven decisions to enhance their operations. Policymakers can formulate evidence-based policies to support sustainable growth in the catfish farming sector. Other developing countries can draw lessons from Nigeria's experiences to bolster their aquaculture sectors.

Keywords: Aquaculture; Experience; Feed types; Markets; Production constraints; Production management; Production scale; Profitability.