Livestock Productivity: Federal Gov’t To Establish 2 New Animal Gene Banks

The federal government has hinted at plans to establish two new animal gene banks by 2025.

The development is aimed at supporting breed improvement and conservation in Nigeria’s livestock sector.

The initiative was revealed during a workshop organised by the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES) in Abuja, where the national project coordinator, Sanusi Abubakar, stressed the importance of the development for the future of livestock farming in the country.

The creation of the gene banks is part of a strategy to enhance the resilience and productivity of Nigeria’s livestock industry, which is crucial to national food security and economic development.

Currently, the country has limited gene banking facilities to preserve genetic material from indigenous breeds to ensure biodiversity and sustainability.

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Abubakar noted that the new gene banks would play a pivotal role in breed conservation and improvement, particularly as Nigeria seeks to modernise its livestock systems.

“The framework is already in progress, and we expect by 2025 to have two brand-new gene banks on our chain,” he stated.

The L-PRES project, which aims to improve livestock productivity, commercialisation, and resilience across the country was launched in 2022 with initial $500 million in loan funding from the World Bank for the period of six years (2022-2028).

The project is being implemented through a Subsidiary Loan Agreement (SLA) at the state level, with the National Coordination Office (NCO) providing technical support.

According to Abubakar, L-PRES is tackling key challenges in the sector, including poor infrastructure, disease management, and market access.

He stated that over 223,097 beneficiaries have been profiled across 17 states to ensure that the interventions reach the right farmers and livestock producers.