The Federal Government has projected that Nigeria’s livestock industry could contribute as much as $94 billion to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) within the next decade.
Currently estimated at over $32 billion, the livestock sector is considered a critical pillar for national food security, job creation, and rural income generation.
Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, represented by the Director, Technical Office of the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Peter Alike, disclosed this on Thursday at the Policy Dialogue Workshop for the Valuation of PRISMA Project Results in Abuja. He said the government’s strategic plan for the sector, spanning 2025 to 2030, aims to raise its GDP contribution to between $74 billion and $94 billion.
Maiha described livestock development as a national imperative, noting that President Bola Tinubu’s creation of a dedicated ministry underscores government’s commitment to revitalising the sub-sector. He emphasised that Nigeria’s large livestock population— including over 50 million cattle— positions the country for significant economic gains if supported by adequate feed and production systems.
He stressed that collaboration among Nigeria, ECOWAS, and regional stakeholders is essential for achieving shared food security goals.
“This is the time for three things to be done: collaboration, collaboration, and collaboration,” he said, warning against reducing the PRISMA policy dialogue to a routine event without meaningful outcomes. He also cautioned that excluding Nigeria from regional projects would undermine their success.
Speaking earlier, Acting Executive Director of the ECOWAS Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food (ARAA), Mr. Konlani Kanfitin, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to advancing livestock development, noting that the sector remains central to food security and rural livelihoods across West Africa.
Kanfitin commended the European Union and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) for co-financing the PRISMA project, which promotes climate-adapted innovations for resilient agro-pastoral systems. He said policy dialogue remains vital for ensuring coherence, participatory governance, and regional integration.
PRISMA Researcher, Dr. Fernando Escribano, highlighted the project’s efforts to combat aflatoxins in livestock feed— toxic contaminants that threaten livestock productivity and human health. He called for harmonised standards for sampling and detecting aflatoxins across the region.
The workshop, held under the ECOWAS agricultural policy framework (ECOWAP), was hosted by the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development and supported by EU, AECID, Luxembourg Cooperation, Belgian Cooperation, and Spanish Cooperation, reflecting broad international and regional collaboration in strengthening the livestock sector.
