A franchise contract that will enable an Anambra table fish production group, the Elite Cooperative Society Limited, to use the TAENPROWIZ Fish Production Business System and Technology to commercialize its production was signed on Tuesday in Awka, the state capital.
The contract was brokered between the Cooperative Society and the Franchisor, TeeMartins ICT Limited, by the Fisheries and Aquaculture Business Development Agency (FABDA).
At the contract signing ceremony held at the FABDA Office in Awka, the President of Elite Cooperative Society, Mr. Chukwuma Onyekwe, signed on behalf of the Franchisee, while Mr. Cosmas Ezenwanne signed on behalf of the Franchisor.
Under the contract, the cooperative comprising youths trained under the ECOWAS-sponsored TAENPROWIZ Youth Training 1.0 in Table Fish Production Business will transition its operations to a commercial fish production business under a structured, professional, and technology-driven framework.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, the Taenprowiz Production Partnership Center Coordinator, Mr. Emeka Iloghalu, said the Franchise Contract is a major milestone in efforts to boost aquaculture production, create jobs for youths, and strengthen food security through the innovative fish production business model.
He explained that the cooperative had demonstrated commitment and readiness to contribute to Anambra’s fish production targets, making it eligible for the franchise opportunity.
Iloghalu explained that while the initial ECOWAS-sponsored youth Training program focused solely on skills development and technical empowerment, without financial handouts, FABDA facilitated the formation of cooperatives by collaborating with the Ministry of Industry and the Director of Cooperatives to organize additional training on the Cooperative Movement and Formation.
He said six Table Fish Production Co-operatives emerged from the training program, with Elite Cooperative becoming the first to sign the TAENPROWIZ Franchise Contract.
“This contract is to enable them to move into the professional fish production business using the TAENPROWIZ fish production business system and technology. They have positioned themselves to contribute meaningfully to the GDP of Anambra State through Table Fish production,” Iloghalu said.
According to him, the state, through FABDA, has outlined a three-step target for Table Fish Production in the state, beginning with a short-term goal of adding 51 million kilograms annually to achieve local self-sufficiency.
He added that the agency’s mid-term target is to increase production to 675 million kilograms annually to support both demand for industrial raw materials and the export drive, while the longer-term goal is to position Anambra as the leading Fish producer in the ECOWAS region, with a target of at least 1.35 billion kilograms annually.
“This is not the conventional fish farming system. It is an all-encompassing system designed to transition participants into professional fish production. Following this signing, the cooperative will move into a prepared production facility,” he added.
He expressed the hope that the Anambra State Government’s youth empowerment initiative, the ‘One Youth Two Skills program’, would possibly provide some funding and other support to youths trained under the ECOWAS Taenprowiz Youth program who have formed cooperatives.
In his remarks, the President of Elite Co-operative Society, Mr. Chukwuma Onyekwe, described the agreement as a major milestone for the cooperative’s members.
“It has not been easy since we started this journey, and we have faced several challenges. We believe the introduction of the TAENPROWIZ System and Technology will make the difference and help us achieve our vision of becoming a major contributor in the fish production business,” he said.
For his part, the Managing Director of TeeMartins ICT Limited, Mr. Cosmas Ezenwanne, said the contract would enable the cooperative to deploy the high-precision TAENPROWIZ Fish Production Business System to improve efficiency and increase throughput.
“The idea is that they will use our system to run their fish production business with precision, improve efficiency, and increase throughput.
This is a long-term program, and we look forward to more franchisees adopting this system to advance their production,” Ezenwanne said.
