Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has distributed 50 fishing boats fitted with 15-horsepower Yamaha outboard engines and fishing nets to fishermen across Warri North, Warri South and Warri South-West Local Government Areas.

Represented by the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Dennis Guwor, at Koko, headquarters of Warri North LGA, on Monday, the governor said the intervention was designed to boost fishing activities, increase the income of riverine residents and strengthen food security.

The boats and fishing equipment were commissioned and handed over to beneficiaries as part of the administration’s efforts to provide productive assets and improve livelihoods in riverine communities.

Oborevwori said fishing remained central to the economic and social life of the communities, noting that many fishermen continued to operate with inadequate equipment despite the difficult conditions associated with their trade.

“For generations, fishing has been an important part of the life and economy of our riverine communities. It is more than a means of livelihood; it is a tradition passed down from one generation to the next.

“This intervention is therefore about giving you the tools you need to fish more efficiently, increase your income and provide better opportunities for your families,” the governor said.

He said the programme was a practical demonstration of his administration’s M.O.R.E Agenda, particularly its commitment to expanding economic opportunities and ensuring that no community was excluded from the state’s development efforts.

The Commissioner for Riverine Infrastructure Development, Chief Ebikeme Clark, described the initiative as the fulfilment of a key commitment of the Oborevwori administration to riverine communities.

Clark said the boats were specially constructed to withstand tidal conditions and could also be used to transport agricultural produce from riverine areas.

“Today, we are not just handing over fishing boats; we are handing over tools of livelihood, instruments of peace, and engines of economic growth to the very people of the riverine communities of Warri Federal Constituency, whose major means of livelihood is fishing,” he said.