Nigeria has moved to reset the direction of its livestock economy, unveiling a wide-ranging reform plan aimed at reducing conflict, attracting private capital and boosting productivity across the value chain.
At the maiden meeting of the National Council on Livestock Development (NCLD) in Yola, Attahiru Jega, special adviser to the President on Livestock Reforms and Co-Chairman of the Presidential Livestock Reforms Implementation Committee (PLRIC), presented a national blueprint he described as a “strategic turning point” for a sector long hampered by insecurity, low yields and heavy import dependence.
Jega said the council must adopt a Delivery Compact that binds federal and state actors to verifiable targets, stressing that the administration intends to shift from “years of diagnosis to an era of delivery’.
He said that the federal government will roll out a National Livestock Conflict De-escalation Framework featuring coordinated security interventions, legal support for affected communities and a harmonised restitution registry.
A “Conflict-to-Commerce’’ pilot will also convert high-risk grazing areas into fodder production hubs employing young people from both farming and herding communities.
To attract large operators, Jega announced plans for a Nigeria Livestock Investment Fund (NLIF), a blended-finance vehicle expected to offer guarantees, concessions and venture funding for ranching and processing ventures.
He said commercial ranch concessions and integrated processing hubs would be prioritised, drawing on models studied in São Paulo, Brazil.
A National Livestock Information System (NLIS) will be deployed to map grazing routes, ranch sites and conflict hotspots using GIS tools. The system will anchor a national animal traceability programme, beginning with the digital tagging of 100,000 cattle in three states within the next year, alongside a full livestock census.
A digital market platform, “LivestockNaija,” and predictive tools for disease and supply-chain disruption will also be built on the data architecture.
The plan includes establishing National Animal Gene Banks and launching a Livestock Innovation Grant Scheme to support research and commercialisation of drought-resistant fodder, diagnostics and other technologies. Women and youth will be prioritised across dairy processing, extension services and supply-chain activities.
Jega said the National Livestock Transformation Bill before the National Assembly is central to institutionalising the reforms. He urged governors to treat land contributions as equity in Special Livestock Economic Zones (SLEZs) to boost state revenue and attract investors.
The blueprint sets several performance indicators, including: 40% reduction in farmer–herder conflict in five pilot states,Increase in milk yield from 1 litre to 5 litres per cow per day,At least $150 million investment into each of three processing complexes,15% annual reduction in Nigeria’s dairy import bill, 250,000 new jobs, with 30% allocated to youth and 40% of benefits to women and Integration of 500,000 pastoralists into the formal financial system
Jega warned that delaying reforms would impose far higher economic and costs. “This council is the command centre for Nigeria’s agricultural renewal,” he said, urging swift implementation.
