The minister of state for Agriculture and Food Security, Sabi Abdullahi has said that the development of a viable feed and fodder sector in Nigeria will unlock several economic potentials and help the country address the longstanding farmer-herder conflicts.
The minister stated this in Abuja when he inaugurated a multi-stakeholders platform for Resilient African Feed and Fodder Systems (RAFFS) project in Nigeria in collaboration with African Union’s Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR).
According to him, the initiative is expected to create a new economic hub for food and nutrition security, while contributing significantly to President Bola Tinubu’s economic vision.
The minister emphasised the critical role of the livestock industry in the nation’s economy, stating that the global economy for livestock stands at approximately $3.3 trillion, with Nigeria’s own estimate at about N33 trillion.
He called upon the Nigerian youth to seize this opportunity by creating technology-driven solutions that will develop the sector into a data-driven and evidence-based industry.
Earlier, RAFFS project lead, Sarah Ashanut Ossiya emphasised the pivotal role of investment in the feed and fodder sector to accelerate food security across Africa.
Ossiya commended Nigeria for establishing its Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP) while expressing confidence in Nigeria’s leadership as she predicted significant changes in the sector within the next few years.
She criticised the luxury status of livestock-sourced foods in the continent which should be accessible dietary choices rather than expensive commodities.
She said that the unstructured nature of the feed and fodder sector has led to significant economic losses in the continent’s livestock sector.
In her remarks, the director, animal husbandry services, ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Winnie Lai-Solarin lauded stakeholders, saying that the multi-stakeholder platform was a stride towards policy reform and the creation of an ecosystem tailored for the feed and fodder industry.
Lai-Solarin highlighted the collaborative efforts with financial institutions to forge business models and investment opportunities for barrier-breaking advancements in the sector.
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