Nigeria’s Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, says the livestock sector is entering a new era of transformation under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Maiha, who made the declaration in Abuja on Tuesday, said the transformation is further flagged by fresh commitments to unlock the sector’s economic potential and Nigeria’s strategic cooperation with Brazil.
Speaking on Tuesday, at the Nigeria-Brazil Strategic Dialogue, the Minister described the Ministry of Livestock Development as being uniquely positioned to immediately harness opportunities presented by the new bilateral platform.
“No Ministry today in Nigeria is better placed to express the full meaning of Renewed Hope than the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development,” he said.
The Minister outlined a bold vision for the sector, noting that the Renewed Hope Agenda promises to revitalise and secure the future for over 58 million cattle, 124 million goats, 60 million sheep, 9.3 million pigs, and more than 2 billion poultry birds.
“These animals represent not just food sources but livelihoods and employment for millions of Nigerians across the country,” he added.
He further stated that two major focus areas were identified as part of Nigeria’s engagement with Brazil, which include Genetic Improvement; Leveraging Brazil’s expertise to enhance livestock breeds for higher productivity.
He said the other one is Animal Health and Disease Control, with Brazil recently declared Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) free, the Minister said Nigeria will adapt Brazil’s proven models to manage and eliminate livestock diseases nationwide.
Maiha, who participated in the Brazil-Africa Dialogue in Brasília, emphasised the importance of working closely with Brazilian firms like Rampa and other private sector actors to replicate Brazil’s livestock development success in Nigeria.
He also announced that Nigeria’s National Economic Council has approved a National Livestock Growth Strategy, aimed at increasing the sector’s value from $32 billion to $74 billion within the next five years.
“This ambitious growth plan will be driven by the private sector, following the Brazilian model. We believe that through this roadmap, we can modernise our livestock systems and build a globally competitive, resilient industry,” he said.
The Minister revealed that the government has identified 10 strategic pillars to guide the sector’s transformation, with a clear mandate to ensure both economic and social impact across the value chain.
“We are ready and committed to being part of this Strategic Dialogue Mechanism between the Federative Republic of Brazil and the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” the Minister declared.