Nigeria Develops Action Plan For Animal Genetics Resource 

Rahila Lassa,Abuja

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The Nigerian Government says there’s a need to wrap up efforts in developing the national strategy and action plan.
In an exclusive interview in Abuja, with Voice of Nigeria in Abuja, the Project Team Lead, Animal Genetic Resource in Nigeria, Dr. Popoola Mustapha said will help with the management of animal genetic resources in Nigeria.
According, to him, developing the National Strategy and Action Plan is the first step in the domestication of the global plan of action on animal genetic resources which Nigeria is a signatory since 2007.
 “So you could see that many of the animals that we have in the country are not producing optimally because their genetic has been eroded and those that are not eroded are already depleted and some actually have negative environmental impacts that has made them to be performing below standard”.    
Dr. Mustapha disclosed that the genetic erosion and depletion has led to nutrition insecurity in the country. 
 ” President Bola Tinubu has done wonderfully well by actually showing the way and giving us the right political will in creating the Ministry of Livestock Development. So having done that, there are elements for a sustainable development of that Ministry and the eventual sustainable development of the sector itself”.
He noted that enhanced productivity  will contribute to the GDP of the country.
” We cannot build this sector on the existing foundation, which is not good enough. So we need to know the animals we have. Knowing the animals that you have, we tell you how do you manage that animal? What do you feed to the animal? What type of drug do you give to the animal, what type of vaccine, what type of house? So, but now we don’t even know the animals we have. So what intervention are we doing that is going to give us results? We don’t mind the animals”. 
He further emphasised that the Action Plan is predicated upon four pillars.
” That means you need to know your animal biology. You need to know the DNA of your animal. You need to know the RNA that are present there. You need to know the genes that are responsible for which traits. So if you’re interested in having animal that have more meat, you will know those animals can be selected for that purpose if you need those that are going to be giving you milk, same process also required”. 
He decried the lack of data in organising the sector which the  Action Plan will also address.
” So we need to actually create this business so that the new Ministry and the new interest of the government in livestock sector will not go in a disarray. We don’t want them to waste resources. We want to have good foundation upon which we can build our move”. 
Dr Popoola Mustapha added that Nigeria has one of the huge biodiversity in West Africa which needs to be taken advantage of.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oyenike Oyeniyi 

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