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Abstract
The study analyzed the marketing margins and efficiencies of smoked fish in Kainji Lake Basin Nigeria. Specifically, the study examined the socio-economic characteristics of smoked fish marketers, estimated the cost and returns, profit margins and efficiency of smoked fish marketing, evaluated the effects of socio-economic and institutional determinants of net-income of smoked fish marketers and examined the challenges of smoked fish marketers. A 2-stage sampling procedure was used to select 60 wholesale marketers of smoked catfish from a population of 107 catfish marketers. Primary data were collected with the aid of questionnaires administered through interview schedule. Data were presented with descriptive statistics such as percentages and 4-point Likert rating scale. Also, net marketing margin, net profit margin, marketing efficiencies and two-stage least square regression analysis were used to analyze data. Results showed that majority (55 %) of the fish marketers were men with a mean age of 40 years while 36.67 % had experience of 11-15 years. Marketing of smoked catfish is profitable with a net profit margin of 3.49 % and marketing efficiency of 189.79 %. Also, the significant socio-economic and institutional determinants of net-income were age, years of experience and levy while the major challenges of fish marketing were poor pricing (𝑥̅=3.88), high cost of transportation (𝑥̅=3.28) and access to capital (𝑥̅=2.80). It is based on these findings the study recommends that there should be effective price regulations by market unions to stabilize prices of fish in major market centers.