- President Bola Tinubu set a target to grow Nigeria’s livestock sector from $32 billion to over $64 billion annually
- Tinubu spoke at the 9th All Africa Conference on Animal Agriculture in Abuja on Monday, represented by SGF George Akume
- The federal government listed dairy production, meat processing, leather, and feed milling as key areas of focus under the new strategy
President Bola Tinubu has announced plans to more than double the annual value of Nigeria’s livestock sector, targeting a jump from roughly $32 billion to over $64 billion, as part of a broader push to transform what is largely a subsistence-based industry into a modern commercial powerhouse.
Tinubu made the announcement on Monday in Abuja at the opening of the 9th All Africa Conference on Animal Agriculture, which was held under the theme “Repositioning Animal Agriculture for Africa’s Food Security and Global Competitiveness.” The president was represented at the event by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.
Tinubu: Reforms behind the growth target
The Cable reported that the administration said the ambitious target would be pursued through a range of structural reforms, including efforts to raise productivity, strengthen value chains, expand commercial feed production, improve animal health services, enhance livestock genetics, and promote climate-smart farming practices.
Tinubu pointed to the creation of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development in July 2024 as a key institutional step in that direction. The government is also rolling out the National Livestock Growth Acceleration Strategy, which identifies dairy production, meat processing, leather, feed milling, and livestock infrastructure as priority areas for investment and growth.
The president said the government was working to implement recommendations from its presidential committee on livestock reforms, with measures covering governance, productivity, peaceful livestock production, and private-sector investment.
On ranching, Tinubu said modern livestock production systems would be promoted to improve yields and reduce the conflicts that often come with traditional herding practices across the country.
Tinubu on dairy, youth, and regional trade
Nigeria’s heavy reliance on imported milk was also flagged as a concern. The government said it would support local dairy production through improved animal breeds, pasture development, milk collection infrastructure, and modern processing facilities.
Tinubu said the livestock sector held strong potential to generate millions of jobs, with specific programmes planned to increase the participation of women and young Nigerians through better access to finance, digital tools, and value-chain opportunities.
He urged conference delegates to stop viewing the sector purely as a food source and instead treat it as a fully integrated commercial industry spanning production, processing, transportation, technology, finance, and exports.
The president also called on African nations to work more closely together to address shared challenges such as animal diseases, climate change, food insecurity, trade barriers, and cross-border livestock movement. He said Nigeria would continue to push for stronger regional cooperation under the African Continental Free Trade Area framework to grow livestock trade across the continent.
Delegates at the conference were challenged to produce practical recommendations on animal health, disease control, climate-smart production, livestock genetics, youth and women empowerment, research, innovation, and investment before the conference concludes.
Source: Legit.ng