The Honourable Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, announced a transformative vision for Nigeria’s livestock industry during the launch of the ABIS Livestock Academy at the National Livestock Transformation Dialogue held in Abuja today.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, by Ben Bem Goong, Director, Press and Public Relations, emphasized that this initiative marks a significant step towards creating a modern, resilient, and globally competitive livestock sector, underpinned by knowledge, innovation, and strong international relationships.
In his address, Minister Maiha stressed the urgency of moving away from outdated practices and enhancing knowledge transfer within the industry.
He articulated the need for a cohesive infrastructure that connects grazing reserves, abattoirs, markets, and consumers.
“The grazing reserve and the abattoir are two ends of the same vision,” he stated.
Emphasizing the importance of sustainable animal raising practices and high-quality processing standards to establish a robust value chain.
According to the Minister, this approach aims to create employment, empower youth and women, and secure Nigeria’s position in the global livestock market.
Maiha applauded ABIS for its investment in modernizing abattoirs, enhancing cold storage, and creating structured meat distribution channels.
Spark News Naija reports that the launch of the ABIS Livestock Academy, aimed to provide technical training and skill development across the livestock value chain, aligns with the government’s objectives for sustainable productivity.
Highlighting the economic impact of these initiatives, Emmanuel Nelson Usman, Chairman of ABIS, noted that the company’s expansion will yield over 36,000 jobs, advance food security, promote sustainability via biogas innovations, and bolster Nigeria’s competitiveness in the export market.
Sa’ad Hamidu, Managing Director of the Nigerian Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), added to the positive outlook, revealing that the organization trained over 490 livestock stakeholders this year alone and facilitated over N270 billion in loans and investments directed towards the livestock sector.
Strengthening further international ties, the Minister also welcomed Belgian Ambassador to Nigeria, Pieter Leenknegt.
The Ambassador announced a forthcoming trade mission from Belgium scheduled for November, focused on agriculture, food systems, cold-chain management, and the integration of artificial intelligence in livestock management.
Maiha listed the vast potential of Nigeria’s livestock market, valued at over $33 trillion and housing more than 200 million ruminants.
He expressed eagerness for collaboration on critical areas such as genetics, vaccines, pharmaceuticals, feed and fodder, and advanced technological solutions, pointing to Belgian expertise in the Belgian Blue cattle breed and AI-driven cattle tagging as valuable resources for enhancing productivity and management in Nigeria’s livestock sector.