The Federal College of Fisheries and Marine Technology assumed its present status as a full-fledged technological institution in 1992. Before then the College was known as the Federal School of Fisheries which was established in 1969 as a vocational training institute to address the manpower requirement of Nigeria’s fledgling in-shore fleet.

The phenomenal growth of the Nigerian fisheries and maritime sector over the years gave rise to a corresponding need to generate a higher level of indigenous expertise to service the core and ancillary segments of the sector. This need further necessitates a comprehensive re-examination of the scope and depth of training being offered at the relevant institutions. Out of this re-examination emerged the decision by the Nigerian Government to transform the then Fisheries School into a composite College of Technology and the expansion of its mandate to incorporate tertiary-level training in Fisheries Technology, Marine Engineering and Nautical Science. Currently, the College offers courses in these disciplines in addition to Maritime Transport and Business Management (MTBM) plus Industrial and Labour Relations up to the National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) levels.

Up to 1992, the College operated under the supervision of the Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research (NIOMR). In February of that year, the College became autonomous but still maintains significant linkages with the Institute to date.

The Federal College of Fisheries and Marine Technology is headed by a Provost who reports the Honourable Minister of Agriculture through the NIOMR/College Governing Board. The Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture supervises the College as well as the other twelve (12) Federal Colleges of Agriculture in the country.

Owing to the high level of importance attached to it’s work locally and internationally, the College has benefited from numerous aid assistance programmes including institutional support from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The products of the College mainly from the Departments of Marine Engineering and Nautical Science have continued to maintain a strong dominance in the Shipping and Industrial Fishing sub-sectors of the Nigerian economy. There is hardly any fishing vessel or oil tanker operating within Nigerian territorial waters or even foreign going vessels plying the Gulf of Guinea waters without a graduate of this Institution on board.

Today the College has full accreditation from the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) for it’s Programmes; Fisheries Technology (ND and HND), Marine Engineering (ND), Nautical Science (ND), Maritime Transport and Business Management (ND and HND), Industrial and Labour Relations (ND).

The College also secured approval from the NBTE to commence six new programmes; Marine Engineering (HND), Computer Science (ND), Mechanical Engineering (ND), Science Laboratory Technology (ND), Hydrology and Water Resources Management (ND) as well as Oceanography and Fisheries Science (ND).

The College has also recently embarked on an expansion of it’s infrastructure to improve it’s education content delivery and cater for it’s growing needs.

Finally, with improved funding, the sky is the beginning in terms of potential achievements of this College and we use this opportunity to elicit the kind support of the private sector whose potential partnership with the College would remarkably enhance and even expand the College’s board objectives and status.