Tinubu Sets Ambitious Target to Double Nigeria's Livestock Economy

(President Bola Tinubu. Photo Credit: Peoples Gazette)

President Bola Tinubu has declared an objective to more than double Nigeria’s livestock sector’s current economic output of $32 billion as the Federal Government accelerates initiatives addressing food security challenges, employment generation and economic diversification.

Tinubu outlined this ambition on Monday in Abuja during the inaugural session of the 9th All Africa Conference on Animal Agriculture, positioning the livestock industry as a principal driver of economic expansion and a prospective continental manufacturing, processing and export destination.

Represented at the event by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, Tinubu noted that Nigeria’s livestock sector presently contributes exceeding $32 billion to the national economy, with millions of citizens relying on it for food procurement, revenue generation and subsistence.

The administration’s strategy encompasses expanding sectoral economic contributions beyond present levels to establish Nigeria as Africa’s foremost livestock manufacturing and value-addition hub.

Nigeria’s livestock resource base encompasses over 58 million cattle, 64 million sheep, 124 million goats and 660 million poultry, demonstrating the sector’s considerable wealth-generation capacity.

Tinubu positioned agriculture and food security as cornerstones of his Renewed Hope Initiative, identifying the establishment of a dedicated Federal Ministry of Livestock Development in July 2024 as a pivotal institutional advancement facilitating industry transformation.

The ministry was created to transition livestock operations from subsistence and customary methodologies toward sophisticated, technology-enabled commercially oriented systems integrated within international marketplaces.

The government has authorised institutional restructuring informed by Presidential Committee recommendations on livestock reform, strengthening administration, amplifying output, fostering harmonious production environments and mobilising private investment.

The National Livestock Growth Acceleration Strategy constitutes the strategy’s foundation, aimed at reinforcing production systems across the entire value chain.

The approach encompasses enhanced veterinary health administration, industrial feed production, selective breeding advancement, environmentally sustainable production, commercial development, dispute resolution and investment enlargement and export prospects.

Tinubu underscored contemporary ranching and industrial production methodologies as mechanisms for productivity enhancement whilst mitigating conflicts associated with conventional pastoral activities.

The government is promoting funding into dairy expansion, meat fabrication, leather manufacturing, industrial feed operation and livestock infrastructure development.

A cardinal priority involves reducing Nigeria’s dairy importation dependence and maintaining greater foreign currency reserves within the domestic economy.

The dairy sector transformation agenda seeks to expand domestic milk supply through superior breeding stock, enhanced nutritional inputs, mechanised reproduction techniques and reinforced commercial sector involvement, incorporating improved livestock breeds, grassland enhancement, industrial feed operations, milk aggregation systems, investor-backed dairy enterprises and contemporary manufacturing capabilities.

Tinubu identified livestock value chains as substantial employment possibilities for Nigeria’s expanding youth demographic across production, fabrication, distribution, technological sectors and export activities.

The administration targets enlarged participation from women and youthful participants through broadened financing accessibility, technological infrastructure, creative advancement, commercial opportunity expansion and corporate partnerships.

Tinubu advocated intensified African nations’ cooperation, emphasising that animal pathologies, climatic disruption, nutritional shortages, commercial impediments and transnational livestock mobilisation demand cooperative rather than unilateral remedies.

He characterised Africa’s livestock industry prospects as contingent upon technological advancement, investigation, continental cooperation mechanisms and innovation.

The President appealed to conference attendees to formulate actionable recommendations addressing health administration, infectious disease management, ecological production systems, hereditary advancement, intercontinental exchange, demographic empowerment, investigation, creative development and money commitments.

He pledged Nigeria’s readiness to collaborate with neighbouring countries, international collaborators, scholarly organisations and commercial entities in establishing a competitive, sustainable and internationally recognised livestock sector.

Tinubu reiterated his commitment to continental livestock sector advancement, declaring the conference open and affirming Nigeria’s leadership dedication to transforming Africa’s productive livestock capacity.