The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development has called for the livestock sector to be given greater prominence in the implementation of Nigeria's Draft Agrifood System Strategy and Action Plan (2026–2035), saying the sector holds the key to achieving food security, economic diversification and sustainable rural development.
Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, made the appeal during a high-level briefing on the draft strategy for implementing the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Kampala Declaration (2026–2035) in Abuja.
The draft strategy, prepared by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, is a proposed 10-year framework aimed at transforming Nigeria's agrifood sector in line with the African Union's Kampala Declaration and President Bola Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda.
According to the Deputy Director, Information and Public Relations, Henrietta Okokon, the Maiha said livestock development should be recognised as a strategic economic sector rather than being treated as a sub-sector of agriculture, noting that it has enormous potential to drive economic growth, create jobs, reduce poverty and strengthen the country's food systems.
He advocated increased investment in animal healthcare, livestock breeding through artificial insemination and embryo transfer technologies, as well as sustainable rangeland management to improve productivity and resilience.
The minister also stressed the need to expand investment across livestock value chains, including meat and dairy processing, poultry production, livestock markets, transportation, cold-chain facilities and other value addition initiatives capable of attracting private capital and improving incomes for farmers.
Also at the event, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, said President Bola Tinubu had directed the ministry to develop a practical, long-term roadmap that would reposition Nigeria's agrifood sector and align it with continental agricultural priorities under the Kampala Declaration.
Kyari explained that the strategy was produced through nationwide consultations involving stakeholders across the six geopolitical zones to ensure broad participation and ownership.
He disclosed that the document would be forwarded to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for approval after stakeholders' endorsement, after which government ministries, departments and agencies would align their policies, programmes and budgets with the strategy.
According to him, the roadmap is designed to increase agricultural productivity, expand regional agricultural trade, reduce post-harvest losses, improve access to nutritious food, reduce poverty and attract greater investment into the agrifood sector.
Meanwhile, Azubike Nwokoye, Food Systems Specialist at ActionAid Nigeria, urged governments at all levels to increase budgetary allocations to agriculture, noting that the combined 2026 agriculture budget of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory stands at 4.58 per cent, well below the African Union's recommended 10 per cent benchmark.
He said analysis from ActionAid's agricultural expenditure dashboard showed that full implementation of state agricultural budgets could create about 1.4 million direct jobs, while planned Federal Government spending could generate an additional 2.1 million jobs, bringing the projected total to 3.5 million direct jobs nationwide.
The briefing attracted representatives from key federal ministries, development partners, research institutions, civil society organisations and other stakeholders who reviewed the draft strategy before its submission to the Federal Executive Council.