The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development (FMLD) has unveiled a strategic Federal-State-Private Sector partnership aimed at transforming Nigeria’s livestock sector, dismissing insinuations that the government is grabbing land for the project.

Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, disclosed this at the weekend during a ministerial briefing in Abuja, attended by veterinary professionals, breeders, processors, livestock dealers, investors, and international development partners.

Maiha explained that the strategy, designed under the Renewed Hope Livestock Transformation Drive, brings together the federal and state governments, along with the private sector, to mobilise coordinated investments across the entire livestock value chain.

He stressed that the success of the initiative depends heavily on this tripartite partnership, with each tier playing complementary roles. While the Federal Government provides national policies, technical standards, animal health protocols, and investment facilitation, the states are expected to provide suitable land, local infrastructure, community engagement, and security coordination.

The minister clarified that the livestock sector extends far beyond cattle, encompassing poultry, sheep, goats, pigs, snails, and honeybees, as well as associated value chains such as feed, animal health, and logistics.

“There will be no imposition of livestock value chains on states,” Maiha assured, stressing that Nigeria’s diverse ecological and socio-economic conditions demand locally driven solutions.

He revealed that the proposed Federal-State-Private Sector Livestock Development Centres would serve as commercially oriented platforms designed to attract investment, rather than isolated government farms. The centres will link producers to commercially viable enterprises, including dairy, meat processing, cold-chain facilities, biogas, and leather production.

This approach, he noted, aligns with the National Livestock Growth Acceleration Strategy (NL-GAS), a 10-pillar roadmap approved by the National Economic Council. The strategy aims to boost the sector’s contribution to the national economy from $32 billion to at least $74 billion by 2035.

Highlighting the current geographical imbalance where livestock is primarily produced in the North but consumed in the South, Maiha explained that transporting live animals over long distances increases costs and supply risks. To mitigate this, he advocated demand-driven state investment plans, enabling each state to develop species based on its comparative advantage.

Identifying major bottlenecks such as inadequate genetics, feed scarcity, land administration issues, weak veterinary services, and limited private-sector investment, the minister noted that these challenges require coordinated action. He also disclosed that since the ministry’s creation in July 2024, the number of states with dedicated livestock ministries or agencies has surged from three to 20, reflecting growing institutional commitment.

Earlier, the Interim President of the College of Veterinary Surgeons, Prof. Akinrenmade, alongside veterinary scholars, commended the government’s vision. They presented an award of excellence to the minister and the Permanent Secretary, Dr Chinyere Ijeoma Akujobi.

Receiving the award, Maiha reiterated the ministry’s dedication to building a modern, profitable, and conflict-sensitive livestock industry in the country.