Key areas FG targets to drive $74bn livestock sector
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- Agribusiness Africa
- May 15, 2025
- News & Analysis
In a bold declaration that positions Nigeria’s livestock sector as a cornerstone for national economic revival, the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, has called on Nigerian youth to take ownership of emerging opportunities across the livestock value chain. Describing the sector as “the alternative to crude oil,” Maiha said it holds vast potential to drive job creation, enhance food security, and foster inclusive economic transformation.
Addressing participants at a youth-focused agricultural conference in Abuja, the Minister unveiled a comprehensive roadmap to grow the livestock sector from its current valuation of $32 billion to $74 billion by 2035. Central to this growth strategy are Nigerian youth and women, whom he identified as primary agents of innovation and productivity in the sector.
The federal government, according to Maiha, is implementing key initiatives to stimulate youth-led livestock agribusinesses. These include:
Allocation of 51,000 hectares of land for livestock projects
Rehabilitation of 417 grazing reserves across the country
Strategic partnerships with Gulf countries for pasture export
Promotion of technology adoption in livestock management and production.
Maiha highlighted Nigeria’s vast livestock resource base—comprising over 15 million cattle, 60 million sheep, 600 million chickens, and 1.4 million goats—as evidence of the sector’s untapped economic potential. “This is not a problem; this is an opportunity,” he declared, calling for a paradigm shift toward technology-driven agribusinesses.
He also underscored the latent potential within school feeding programs to stimulate local dairy demand. “If just half a litre of milk is provided daily to Nigeria’s 47 million primary school children, that’s over 23 million litres of dairy demand per day,” he said—an opportunity that could generate thousands of jobs in dairy production, processing, and logistics.
Source- Daily Trust
Expert Review for Agri-Food Stakeholders
The Minister’s renewed spotlight on livestock as a national economic lever signals a pivotal shift in Nigeria’s agri-food strategy—one that could unlock multi-billion-dollar opportunities across production, processing, distribution, and export if pursued with consistency and private sector alignment.
Strategic Implications for Stakeholders:
- Youth & Women Agripreneurs: With dedicated land allocations and infrastructural rehabilitation plans, young agripreneurs have a significant first-mover advantage to scale ventures in animal husbandry, dairy processing, animal feed production, and leather industries. Early engagement in state-led programs and private partnerships will be key.
- Technology Providers & AgriTech Startups: Maiha’s emphasis on replacing hoes with drones and sensors creates new demand for precision livestock farming solutions—automated feeders, animal health trackers, and pasture monitoring tools. Investment in localized, low-cost tech will fill a pressing market gap.
- Investors & Development Partners: The projected $74 billion valuation by 2035 underlines the sector’s potential return on investment. Capital deployment into modern abattoirs, cold chain systems, dairy processing, and breeding programs will yield long-term socio-economic returns, especially when backed by inclusive financing models.
- Policy & Regulatory Institutions: Achieving scale in this sector hinges on land tenure reform, cross-border livestock movement regulation, and incentives for local production of animal health products and feeds. Effective coordination with subnational actors (states and LGAs) will also determine sustainability.
- Food Security Planners: With millions of undernourished children in Nigeria, integrating livestock into the national food security policy (via school feeding, milk fortification, etc.) will be a game-changer. This requires synergy between education, health, and agriculture ministries.
Conclusion
Maiha’s vision for a livestock-driven economy is timely and compelling—but success will require much more than rhetoric. Stakeholders must now move from policy statements to action, building an ecosystem where young Nigerians can drive innovation, create jobs, and deliver value in the livestock industry. If properly harnessed, this sector could indeed be Nigeria’s next “crude oil”—renewable, inclusive, and resilient.