The Federal Government’s partnerships with various states, like Adamawa’s dairy clusters, Nasarawa’s cattle ranches and Kano’s meat processing hubs, reflect a growing realisation that agriculture alone cannot guarantee food security without a functioning livestock economy.
According to media reports, eleven states across Nigeria—including Lagos and Anambra—have assented to a national ranching plan designed to mitigate the surge in farmer-herder clashes.
As part of the agreement, the states pledged to offer land and infrastructure towards developing ranching systems where herds can be managed in controlled environments rather than roaming uncontrolled.
This model could reduce violence over grazing routes, decrease losses from livestock theft and boost productivity.
Nigeria’s livestock subsector, valued at more than ₦30 trillion, contributes about 10% of the country’s GDP. Despite being an essential source of livelihoods for over 20 million rural households, it is hobbled by low productivity, outdated grazing systems, poor animal health and discrepancies in supply gap.
According to FAO estimates, Nigeria imports more than 25% of the beef and dairy consumed domestically, while post-slaughter losses exceed 30% due to unhygienic processing and poor storage infrastructure.
The new FG-state collaboration aims to reverse this deficit. Over the past three years, agreements have targeted states such as Ogun, Plateau, and Niger to establish ranching clusters, feed mills, and abattoirs under the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP).
These partnerships encourage states to adopt modern breeding practices, reduce farmer-herder conflicts, and create sustainable markets for meat and dairy products.
The creation of a dedicated Ministry of Livestock Development signals an intent to make official what was once an informal trade headed by small herders and open markets.
The recent partnership between Edo and the Federal Government focuses on a joint inventory of livestock assets: ranches, abattoirs, veterinary clinics, and breeding centres, forming the foundation for modernisation. Both governments aim to phase out manual slaughter slabs, replacing them with mechanised, hygienic abattoirs situated in disease-free zones.
This could position Edo as the leading livestock hub in the South-South, supplying processed red meat across the region and reducing dependence on imports from the North.
Its location offers strategic advantage, connecting the southern consumption belt with the northern production centres through major road networks. The state’s investment in veterinary hospitals, artificial insemination centres, and disease control laboratories signals a broader transition from subsistence herding to commercial production.
Similar interventions in neighbouring Delta and Ondo have improved disease surveillance and increased smallholder incomes.
But these investments in livestock go beyond just food. They open up fresh job opportunities. A functional abattoir can employ a good number of people directly and sustain thousands more through transport, cold-chain logistics and sales of by-products like hides, leather and animal feed.
What’s more, modernising the livestock value chain can strengthen public health through safer meat processing, reduce the incidence of zoonotic disease and cut down methane emissions from uncontrolled open grazing.
In economic terms, a 10% improvement in livestock productivity could add ₦3 trillion to Nigeria’s GDP over five years, according to projections by the National Bureau of Statistics.
More partnerships with agritech firms, veterinary colleges, and meat processors could close these gaps, while transparent asset management and traceability systems will prevent the leakages that have undermined earlier efforts.
Summary not available at this time.
