NIRSAL Plc, a Central Bank of Nigeria-owned non-bank financial institution, has launched a Feedlot Management Training Programme aimed at preparing Nigeria’s livestock value chain actors to leverage a $2.5 billion foreign direct investment (FDI) deal recently secured by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu with global meat-packing giant, JBS.
The initiative, carried out in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, was unveiled in Abuja and is part of efforts to transform Nigeria into a major supplier of quality beef to both domestic and international markets.
The landmark JBS partnership will see the construction of six modern meat-processing plants across the country, two of which will be dedicated to beef processing. This is expected to significantly increase demand for high-quality livestock feedstock from local producers.
Speaking during the launch, the Managing Director/CEO of NIRSAL Plc, Mr. Sa’ad Hamidu, said the programme is a strategic intervention designed to build bankable agribusinesses and enhance the global competitiveness of Nigeria’s livestock producers.
“This is not just another training,” Hamidu stated. “It is a targeted intervention focused on improving feed formulation, minimizing input waste, and optimizing livestock finishing cycles to boost market value. We are preparing Nigerian producers to feed not only the nation but the world, in line with the Federal Government’s vision for an export-ready, agriculturally empowered economy.”
Hamidu emphasized that NIRSAL’s role is to unlock the full potential of the livestock sub-sector by addressing structural bottlenecks through a combination of technical capacity-building, risk-sharing incentives for lenders, comprehensive value chain support, and strategic public-private partnerships.
While the JBS deal is the most prominent among recent investments in the livestock sector, local firms like ABIS Group are also investing heavily, creating even more demand for premium feedstock and production systems.
The training’s first cohort comprised stakeholders from the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, the Agriculture Department of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), the National Association of Cattle Dealers, Processors and Marketers of Nigeria (NACDPMAN), the Amalgamated Union of Foodstuff and Cattle Dealers of Nigeria (AUFCDN), Maidoki Farms Ltd, and other industry players.
One of the participants, Shekamang Ayuba, Director of Ranch and Pastoral Resources Development in the Ministry of Livestock Development, described the programme as “eye-opening and timely,” and called for its nationwide rollout.
