The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to attracting large-scale private investment and strengthening collaboration with state governments to transform Nigeria’s livestock industry into a $74 billion economic sector by 2035.
The Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Mukhtar Maiha, stated this during a ministerial briefing with livestock stakeholders in Abuja.
Maiha said the target, contained in the National Livestock Growth Acceleration Strategy (NL-GAS), is designed to raise the sector’s contribution to the national economy from about $32 billion to at least $74 billion by 2035.
He said achieving the target would require stronger Federal-State-Private Sector partnerships, particularly through the proposed Livestock Development Centres to be established across the country.
According to him in a statement on Saturday, the centres will operate as commercially oriented platforms for attracting investment into breeding, feed and fodder production, dairy, meat processing, abattoirs, cold-chain facilities, logistics, leather production, biogas and organic fertiliser.
Maiha stressed that the centres would not be government farms or isolated construction projects, but investment-driven clusters designed to connect producers, cooperatives and private investors with viable livestock businesses.
He explained that individual states would select priority livestock species or value chains based on their agro-ecological conditions, available resources, market demand and investment potential.
The minister said the Federal Government would provide national policies, technical standards, animal health and food safety protocols, traceability systems, data management, investment facilitation and regulatory coordination.
State governments, he added, would provide suitable land, local infrastructure, community engagement, security coordination and producer mobilisation, while private investors would finance and operate the commercial components.
Maiha disclosed that the number of states with dedicated livestock ministries or agencies had increased from three to 20 since the creation of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development in July 2024.
He identified inadequate genetics, scarcity of feed and water, land administration challenges, weak veterinary and extension services, insecurity, poor infrastructure and logistics, and low private-sector investment as major obstacles to the sector’s growth.
The minister also expressed concern over the long-distance transportation of livestock from northern production areas to major consumer markets in southern Nigeria, saying the model increases costs and creates security and supply risks.
He therefore urged states to develop demand-driven livestock investment plans based on their comparative advantages and local market opportunities.
Maiha said the investment-driven approach would not only boost food and nutrition security but also create jobs, expand rural economies, increase value addition and improve opportunities for women and young people.
The minister expressed confidence that the implementation of NL-GAS through the proposed Livestock Development Centres would help position Nigeria’s livestock industry as a modern, profitable and globally competitive sector.
The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development has previously disclosed that discussions were ongoing with major international investors, including JBS, over a potential $2.5 billion investment in Nigeria’s livestock sector, highlighting the scale of capital the government hopes to attract into the industry.