Federal Govt Expects Visible Gains From Livestock Partnerships Soon

The federal government has expressed confidence that its ongoing partnerships and investments in the livestock sector will soon yield tangible gains for Nigerians, as the Ministry of Livestock Development consolidates key reforms across major value chains.

Speaking at the maiden National Council on Livestock Development yesterday in Yola, Adamawa State, the minister, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, said several bilateral and private-sector engagements undertaken in the last one year have matured into concrete expressions of interest, with companies preparing targeted investments in dairy, beef, fodder, small ruminants, animal breeding, poultry, piggery and animal identification systems.

“We will see the physical manifestation of these engagements in a few months,” Maiha said, noting that development partners are already supporting dairy development, peacebuilding and climate-smart livestock production.

He said the efforts offer real hope for pastoralists, farmers and rural households who have long awaited stability, better incomes, safer grazing environments and stronger animal-health systems.

Maiha explained that the National Council on Livestock Development was established to coordinate strategies, deepen collaboration, attract investment and reposition the sector as a driver of economic diversification, food security, rural development and peacebuilding.

The minister recalled that the Ministry, created 16 months ago, is mandated to transition the industry from a traditional and conflict-prone system into a modern and economically vibrant sector capable of raising its current $32 billion value to $74 billion by 2035, in line with the National Livestock Growth Acceleration Strategy and the National Livestock Master Plan.

He urged stakeholders to work together to make the livestock industry a beacon of prosperity, a source of national pride, shared progress, peace and food security for all Nigerians.

In a goodwill message, the governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, represented by his deputy, Prof. Kaletapwa George Farauta, described livestock as a historic pillar of the state’s economy.

He said Adamawa established a Ministry of Livestock Development more than two decades ago, and appealed for federal support to scale up the state’s Pilot Ranch Project under the National Livestock Transformation Plan.