News in brief:
– Minister Idi Mukhtar Maiha has urged Nigerian youth to tap into the livestock sub-sector’s potential to drive jobs, food security, and economic growth.
– Backed by ₦100 billion in government support, his strategy aims to expand the industry through youth innovation, modern farming, and dairy industry development.
The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, has urged Nigerian youth to seize the vast opportunities in the livestock sector. He called it ‘the alternative to crude oil’ and a key engine for job creation, food security, and economic growth.
Speaking at a youth conference in Abuja, Maiha unveiled an ambitious strategy to expand the sector’s value from $32 billion to $74 billion by 2035. He identified young people and women as central to this vision and outlined initiatives to support youth-led agribusiness ventures.
Among the government’s plans are the allocation of 51,000 hectares of land, the rehabilitation of 417 grazing reserves, and partnerships with Gulf nations to export pasture. Maiha emphasised the country’s livestock potential, citing Nigeria’s livestock resources: 15 million cattle, 60 million sheep, 600 million chickens, 1.4 million goats, and 700,000 camels.
“This is not a problem; this is an opportunity,” he said. “We have what it takes to eliminate hunger in this country.”
Maiha encouraged youth to embrace modern agricultural practices, shifting from traditional tools to precision farming with drones, sensors, and smart technology.
“We must move beyond the hoe. Precision farming is the future,” he stressed.
Highlighting the untapped potential in Nigeria’s school feeding programme, Maiha noted that supplying just half a litre of milk daily to the country’s 47 million primary school children could create a daily demand for 23.5 million litres of milk, spurring growth in the dairy industry and generating thousands of jobs.
Feeding programmes, when executed in a way that relies on homegrown food, hold major benefits for students and farmers.
“It secures quality food for students of public schools, promotes consumption of fresh and healthy food, and opens new markets and the possibility of higher incomes for family farmers while boosting local development,” FAO Director-General, José Graziano da Silva, said in an address to Latin American governments.
With bold targets and an emphasis on youth-led innovation, the minister said the livestock sector could be a transformative force in Nigeria’s economic future.
Recall that the ministry will receive a ₦100 billion support, which was approved by the executive council, to reach its target.
