The Federal Government has described the country’s inability to feed the over 50 million cattle in the hands of rural dwellers as not only a national imperative that cannot be ignored but also an emergency situation that requires urgent attention.
The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, stated this on Friday at the opening of a two-day Policy Dialogue Workshop for the Valuation of PRISMA project results in the Regional Agricultural Priorities of West Africa and the Sahel, organised by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)’s Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food (ARAA).
Represented by the Director, Technical office of the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Peter Alike, the minister said the livestock sector was capable of contributing over $94 billion in 10 years if properly developed.
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He stated that even with the feeding crises and other challenges associated with the sector, the current contribution of the sector to the Gross Domestic Product was over $32 billion.
He added that the creation of a ministry dedicated to the development of livestock was a deliberate action by the government towards strengthening the sub-sector and driving national development.
According to the minister, the collaboration between Nigeria, ECOWAS and other stakeholders across the region and the Sahel in achieving food security could not be over-emphasised.
He added; “I have told you already that we have a strategic plan which is going to run from 2025 to 2030, and we have a basket of livestock contribution to GDP, which is currently about $32 billion.
“In Nigeria, we have over 50 million cattle in the hands of rural dwellers, and these are animals that must be fed. So, for us, feeding and indeed, food is a national imperative that we cannot even leave for tomorrow.
“It is an emergency because the tangential effect of not being able to provide the necessary feed for our animals has a direct effect on our very existence, rural livelihood and human peace. So, for us, it is a matter of survival.”
The minister frowned at the likely exclusion of Nigeria from such a regional project considering its contribution in the overall scheme of things.
“If you have a project of this magnitude and you exclude Nigeria, then you are not likely to succeed because I don’t know of any other country in West Africa and the Sahel that has a dedicated Ministry of Livestock Development,” he said.
