The Federal Government hasoutlined an aggressive roadmap to scale the livestock economy from its current estimated value of $32b to $74b within the next 10 years.

Central to this transformation was a $300 million support package from the African Development Bank (AfDB), targeting feed production, animal health systems, breed improvement, and rural infrastructure. The initiative was complemented by Nigeria’s participation in the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones Programme, which has already attracted over $530m investment to Ogun State alone.

The Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Mukhtar Maiha, who revealed this in Abeokuta, Ogun State, in his keynote address during the 28th Global Convention and the 27th Annual Lecture of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Alumni Association, said the strategy was anchored on the National Livestock Transformation Plan, alongside new financing and infrastructure initiatives.
Themed:
“CRAFTING a Sustainable Business & Human Wellbeing,” the event, which brought into sharp focus the country’s ambition to transform its vast agricultural sector into a multi-billion-dollar engine for jobs, food security, and exports, brought together policymakers, industry leaders, and the global alumni body together.

Represented by his Senior Special Adviser on Knowledge Management & Communication, Mr. Richard-Mark Mbaram, the Minister said the livestock sector is no longer a subsistence activity, it is a business ecosystem, emphasising a shift towards structured, sedentary, and productivity-driven systems.

Maiha noted that the creation of a dedicated livestock ministry, a first in Nigeria’s history by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was a decisive policy pivot aimed at unlocking value across meat, dairy, poultry, and related value chains.

He also emphasised the role of livestock in improving child nutrition through an expanded school feeding programme, supported by a $20m grant from development partners. According to him, the initiative was designed not only to improve dietary protein intake among children but also to guarantee stable markets for local producers.

In his lecture, titled:
“A MEGATREND Approach to Creating Long-Term Business and Investment in an Evolving Economy,” an industrialist, Alhaji Goke Adeyemi, called for a pragmatic approach to long-term investment in emerging economies. While acknowledging global “megatrends” such as artificial intelligence, demographic shifts, and energy transition, he argued that Nigeria’s most immediate opportunities lie in fixing basic inefficiencies, particularly post-harvest losses in agriculture.

“Up to 50 per cent of Nigeria’s agricultural produce is lost due to poor storage, logistics, and processing,” he noted, pointing to cold-chain infrastructure, agro-processing, and market linkages as high-impact investment areas. “The fastest path to becoming a global agri-food exporter is not just technology, it is reliability and infrastructure, he stressed.”

In his address, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Babatunde Kehinde, described the alumni network as a critical partner in institutional and national development.

He cited ongoing alumni-led initiatives, including a 2,000-hectare farm hub, transport services, and student support programmes, as examples of how diaspora engagement can drive tangible impact.

For the Alumni Association, led globally by OtunbaBolajiGbadamosi, the gathering was both a celebration of achievements and a call to action.

With chapters across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada supporting scholarships, food programmes, and academic mentoring, the association is increasingly positioning itself as a transnational development network.

Key highlights of the Convention was the launching of the maiden Alumni Compendium and a proposed partnership between the alumni body and the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development to transform the University’s farm hub into a national innovation and demonstration centre, an initiative aligned with Nigeria’s broader food security agenda.