Nigerian young fellow finds aquaculture inspiration in Suzhou

In the past two months, a 28-year-old Nigerian has become a regular at the Modern Fishery Industrial Park in Linhu Town, Suzhou's Wuzhong District.

The young fellow, Alhassan Abdullahi, is an international student at Nanjing Agricultural University and is currently participating with his supervisor Li Hongxia and fellow students in a demonstration project on the recirculating aquaculture system in new-type ponds, which is also the topic of his master's thesis.

Alhassan is taking water samples from the pond for analysis.

Part of a demonstration base promoting the achievements in China-FAO-Netherlands Belt and Road Program, the pond Alhassan is working at is divided into two zones: the smaller one, about one fifth of the pond, is for breeding a large quantity of tilapia, while the larger one is stocked with omnivores like bighead carp and silver carp that help purify tailwater.

Since arriving in Linhu on June 4, Alhassan has spent nearly two months by the pond. His daily routine includes feeding fish at 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., patrolling the pond every two hours, and writing his thesis whenever he is free.

Alhassan and his fellow student Li Xiaowei are checking the condition of equipment.

Before coming to China, Alhassan worked at a freshwater fishery institute in New Bussa, Niger State, Nigeria. Last year, he won the scholarship to major in aquaculture at Nanjing Agricultural University.

When asked about the goal of studying in China, Alhassan said with determination, "I came here carrying the hopes of my people. I want to learn new techniques and bring them back home to help produce more food and make more money."

Alhassan and his fellow student are checking the water circulation equipment.

In his opinion, issues like high temperatures in summer, unstable electricity supply, and water pollution severely constrain the development of aquaculture in Nigeria. His time in Suzhou has given him valuable insights into how to overcome these challenges. He sees the recirculating aquaculture system as the key to develop sustainable aquaculture in his hometown, which can regulate water temperatures, supplement electricity, and purify water.

According to Li Hongxia, in recent years, the Wuxi Fisheries College of Nanjing Agricultural University has welcomed international students from countries such as Uganda, South Sudan, and Tanzania through Belt and Road programs. Many have returned home and promoted the expertise they learned in China.

Source: 引力播 (Yinlibo app)