The Federal Government has unveiled plans to raise the contribution of Nigeria’s livestock sub-sector to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product from 32 billion dollars to more than 74 billion dollars within the next decade.
The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, disclosed this in Ilorin, Kwara State, during a livestock stakeholders’ engagement organised by the state government and attended by over 250 operators across the livestock value chain.
Represented by his Special Adviser, Mark Mbaram, the minister said the government was repositioning the livestock sector as a key driver of food security, job creation and economic growth.
He explained that a National Livestock Growth Acceleration Strategy, already approved by the National Economic Council, has been developed to boost productivity, with a special committee focusing on ranching as a sustainable model.
Maiha stressed that open grazing and itinerant herding are no longer viable, noting that ranching offers better animal management, higher productivity and improved returns, while also emphasising vaccination as essential to preventing disease, reducing losses and protecting public health.