Introducing Keynote Speaker for AQUAWEL Conference 2025 – Ms. Foluke O. Areola

We are proud and honored to welcome Ms. Foluke Omotayo Areola, an esteemed and trailblazing fisheries and aquaculture expert, as a Keynote Speaker at the upcoming Africa Aquatic Animal Welfare (AQUAWEL) Conference 2025.

With a distinguished career spanning over 40 years, Ms. Areola has been a pillar of transformation and advocacy in Nigeria and across the African continent. She is currently the President of the World Aquaculture Society – African Chapter, where she leads the charge on elevating African aquaculture within global policy, trade, and research circles.

Her legacy is built on a lifetime of firsts and fierce dedication to public service:

• First Female Federal Director of Fisheries in Nigeria,
• First Federal Director of Fisheries Quarantine,
• First Female National President of the Fisheries Society of Nigeria (FISON),
• A Board Member, Advisor, Mentor, and Gender Advocate impacting multiple generations of professionals in aquatic health, fisheries policy, welfare and aquaculture systems.

Her extraordinary depth of experience spans technical consultancy, regulatory reform, field research, trade facilitation, capacity building, and regional governance. She has served as a consultant for high-impact programs with WWF-Norway, FAO, AU-IBAR, FCWC, and various government ministries, executing major national and regional assignments on fisheries data management, illegal fishing enforcement, sustainable aquaculture systems, and value chain development.

Currently serving as a Board Member of the National Fish Association of Nigeria (NFAN), Ms. Areola continues to shape aquatic animal welfare from policy halls to the grassroots. Her recent work with One Health and Development Initiative (OHDI) on developing the first Aquaculture Fish Welfare Training Guide in Africa underscores her commitment to embedding ethical, science-based welfare practices into African aquaculture.

Her impact also resonates on the global stage, having represented Nigeria and Africa at multiple high-level events such as:

• The FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries Workshop (Bangkok),
• Interpol’s Global Fisheries Crime Conference (France),
• The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) (France),
• The ATLAFCO Ministerial Conference (Morocco),
• And multiple World Aquaculture Society global conferences in the USA, Denmark, Ghana, and Egypt.

Beyond the boardrooms and international summits, Ms. Areola is a formidable mentor with a heart for farmers—especially women and youth in rural communities. Her unwavering belief in inclusive and participatory aquaculture has led her to implement training programs for small-scale farmers, promote youth entrepreneurship, and shape gender-inclusive value chains across Nigeria and beyond.

Her keynote address at the AQUAWEL Conference will explore the critical intersection of fish welfare, sustainability, trade compliance, gender equity, and climate resilience in African aquaculture. With a passion for developing practical and policy-oriented solutions, she will share transformative ideas. 

As the Africa Fish Welfare (AFIWEL) Project continues to advocate for a continent-wide shift toward ethical, sustainable, and welfare-driven fish production systems, Ms. Areola’s presence at the AQUAWEL Conference is both timely and symbolic. Her work exemplifies the very principles that the AQUAWEL movement stands for—science-informed policies, equity, resilience, and holistic aquatic health systems.

Her keynote will undoubtedly inspire a new generation of practitioners, researchers, and policymakers to rise to the challenge of safeguarding Africa’s aquatic animals, ecosystems, and livelihoods.

Stay tuned for more speaker announcements and agenda highlights as we prepare to host one of the most important gatherings for aquatic animal health and welfare in Africa from June 17 – 18, 2025. 

Register to attend the AQUAWEL Conference 2025 here

Abstract Submission is also still ongoing in this link