Norway's govt kicks as FG includes stockfish in banned list

- The CBN's inclusion of stockfish among the list of goods banned from being imported into Nigeria is a cause for worry for the Norwegian government

- Norway has said that the product will not pose any threat to the country's local content policy

- The country further stressed that this is because Nigeria does not have the species of fish in its water bodies

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The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s inclusion of stockfish in the list of banned goods to be imported into the country has sparked opposition from Norway.

Norway's minister of fisheries and seafood, Odd Emil Ingebrigtsen, during a two-day seminar in Lagos, said while the importation of the fish does not negatively affect Nigeria's local content policy, banning the product will affect Nigerians' declining protein requirement, Vanguard reports.

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Added to this, Ingebrigtsen argued that the importation of stockfish does not involve the repatriation of a lot of foreign currency as compared to other banned goods.

He stated:

“Stockfish and stockfish heads are unique products produced in a unique environment in Norway in order to give it the very special and sought-after taste.

“We urge the Nigerian government to reconsider its policy in order to boost the bilateral trade between the two countries.

According to him, while the government tries to protect the country's growing fish industry, it also needs to focus on removing challenges to trade that benefits both Norwegians and Nigerians.

Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday, December 16, 2020, approved the reopening of four land borders, after more than one year of closure.

The minister of finance, Zainab Ahmed, who announced the reopening of the four borders, added that the remaining ones would be reopened on or before Thursday, December 31.

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Ahmed, however, noted that the ban on importation of rice, poultry, among others remained enforced despite the reopening.

Onyirioha Nnamdi is a graduate of Literature and English Language at the University of Lagos. He is a Politics/Current Affairs Editor who writes on news and political topics for Legit.ng. He brings into his reporting a wealth of experience in creative and analytical writing. Nnamdi has a major interest in local and global politics.

Source: Legit.ng