Stockfish (Okporoko)
Norwegian air-dried cod, whole and in pieces. The backbone of ofe onugbu, oha soup, and pepper soup. Available in full fish, heads, and shredded forms.
Available Daily
Preserved Fish
Smoked&DriedFish
Stockfish, panla, mangala, eja kika, preserved with care
The Craft of Preservation
The Secret Ingredient in Every Nigerian Soup
Long before refrigeration reached every Nigerian home, communities perfected the art of preserving fish, smoking it over hardwood fires, drying it in the open air, salting it against the coastal humidity. These techniques, carried from generation to generation, created the preserved fish that now forms the flavour base of Nigeria's most beloved soups and stews.
Stockfish gives ofe onugbu its depth. Panla brings body to egusi. Mangala lifts a pot of ofe akwu. Smoked catfish transforms a simple pepper soup. Crayfish seasons everything from jollof rice to native soups. At Mile 12, you will find all of it, from premium Norwegian stockfish to freshly smoked catfish prepared on-site by our traders each morning.
Our traders source from coastal processors in Badagry and Epe, freshwater fishermen along the Niger and Benue rivers, and certified importers bringing in North Atlantic stockfish. Every variety is available in retail and wholesale quantities.
50+ Preserved Fish Traders
7 Varieties Available Daily
What We Stock
Products Available at Mile 12
Every variety of smoked and dried fish used in Nigerian cooking, available daily in retail and wholesale quantities.
Panla (Dried Hake)
Sun-dried West African hake. A staple of Lagos cooking, essential in egusi, ogbono, and stewed dishes. Available in whole and half cuts.
Available Daily
Mangala
Small, intensely flavoured dried fish prized for the depth it brings to soups and jollof rice. Sourced from freshwater catches across the Niger Delta.
Available Daily
Smoked Catfish
Wood-smoked and dry-cured catfish, whole and deboned. Adds a rich, smoky base to peppersoup, ofe akwu, and native soups. Smoked fresh daily by our traders.
Available Daily
Eja Kika
Tiny dried herrings, an essential seasoning fish in Yoruba cooking. Used whole in soups and rice dishes for a subtle but distinctive flavour.
Available Daily
Crayfish
Ground and whole dried crayfish, the universal seasoning of Nigerian cooking. Sourced from coastal processors in Badagry, Epe, and the Niger Delta.
Available Daily
Dried Prawns
Sun-dried freshwater and saltwater prawns. Used whole in soups or ground as a seasoning base. Available in small, medium, and large grades.
Available Daily
Stock varies daily. Visit the market early morning for the widest selection. Wholesale bulk orders available, speak directly with traders.
Market Traders
Meet the Smoked & Dried Fish Traders
Our traders are specialists, each one a master of preserved fish, with direct supply chains and decades of experience serving Lagos.
Showing 3 traders
Dried Fish Emporium
Stall H3The most comprehensive dried and smoked fish stall at Mile 12. From stockfish heads to whole panla, eja kika to mangala. If it is preserved, they stock it. Supplying restaurants, hotels, and market traders across Lagos for over 20 years.
Abuja Stockfish Traders
Stall H7Specialists in premium Norwegian stockfish, whole, cut, and shredded. Abuja Stockfish Traders bring in certified North Atlantic cod, the same quality used in high-end Lagos restaurants. Bulk orders welcome.
Iya Fatima's Smoked Fish
Stall H11Iya Fatima smokes her catfish on-site using traditional wood-fire methods passed down through her family. The result is a deep, earthy smoke flavour that chefs and home cooks return for week after week. Freshly prepared every morning.
Explore the full Mile 12 traders directory all categories in one place
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Looking for a specific product?
Contact a trader directly or visit us at the market. Our smoked and dried fish traders are at their stalls from 5AM, Monday to Saturday, stocked with every variety of preserved fish your kitchen or business needs.