By Owede Agbajileke, Abuja
A Professor of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production at the University of Abuja, Clement Alawa, has advocated a policy overhaul to combine traditional knowledge with contemporary farming methods to boost agricultural productivity.
He stated this while delivering the university’s 46th inaugural lecture titled ‘Bridging Worlds: Blending Indigenous Knowledge and Modern Practices for Sustainable Livestock Production’.
Alawa emphasised the critical role traditional expertise plays in building resilient, environmentally conscious, and productive livestock systems.
He also recommended a comprehensive and continuous inventory on current forage resources, crop residues, and by-products outputs to develop an appropriate model for feed budgeting and balancing in Animal Agriculture.
The academic said, “There is need for policy revisions at local, national, and international levels to incorporate and recognize the value of indigenous knowledge in livestock production. Establish guidelines that promote the respectful integration of traditional practices into mainstream agricultural policies.
“Invest in programmes that aim to build the capacity of indigenous communities and educate the wider population about the importance of indigenous expertise in livestock production. This includes training programs, workshops, and educational initiatives to empower communities and facilitate knowledge exchange.
“Allocation of resources for research and development initiatives that explore the intersection of indigenous knowledge and modern agricultural practices.
“Funding should support studies on the efficacy of indigenous techniques, their adaptability to changing conditions, and potential innovations that can arise from the fusion of traditional and modern approaches. Support for animal research and development should be encouraged by stakeholders and policymakers to ensure the sustainability of livestock production.
“Also, animal farmers’ groups can come up with their common challenges and provide the seed grant for action research to find suitable solutions they can, easily, adopt.”
According to him, encouraging public-private partnerships that involve both governmental bodies and private enterprises in supporting initiatives that integrate indigenous expertise, and collaboration between different sectors can amplify the impact of sustainable practices, leading to more robust and resilient livestock supply chains.
He said the indigenous expertise offers a great opportunity for a balanced integration of traditional practices with modern technologies.
He said this synergy will improve efficiency and productivity and also minimize the environmental impact, providing a model that can withstand the challenges of a dynamic agricultural landscape.
In her remarks, the vice chancellor of the University, Professor Patricia Lar, underscored the significance of the lecture in tackling the pressing issue of food security in Nigeria.
She highlighted the critical role that innovative agricultural practices and strategic policy decisions play in ensuring the country’s food self-sufficiency and expressed optimism that the lecture would provide valuable insights and recommendations to address this pressing challenge.
