The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Muktar Maiha, has commended Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago for his administration’s investments in agriculture, particularly livestock development.
Maiha gave the commendation when he led a delegation from the ministry on a courtesy visit to the governor at the Government House in Minna.
The minister said Bago’s agricultural initiatives had raised Niger State’s profile and created an enabling environment for farmers and livestock operators to thrive.
He said the Federal Government was determined to transform Nigeria’s livestock industry into a modern, profitable, sustainable and globally competitive sector capable of strengthening food security, creating jobs and wealth, supporting rural development and promoting social harmony.
Maiha identified feed and fodder development as one of the ministry’s key priorities, explaining that the Federal Government was working with states to establish large-scale livestock development centres.
According to him, participating states are expected to provide land where investors and livestock operators can develop different segments of the livestock value chain.
He also identified breed improvement as another priority, saying the ministry planned to work with relevant stakeholders to introduce improved breeding materials to significantly increase dairy production.
Maiha said Nigeria currently spends about $1.5 billion on the importation of dairy and dairy products, stressing the need to increase local milk production and reduce dependence on imports.
He also advocated a transition from transporting live cattle over long distances to moving processed livestock products, which he said would improve efficiency and strengthen the security of supply.
The minister urged state governments to explore Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) for the establishment of modern abattoirs, noting that the livestock industry has significant potential for job creation.
Maiha further called for strategic livestock development centres along the Sokoto-Badagry Highway to improve visibility, accessibility and the evacuation of livestock products.
Responding, Governor Bago called on the Federal Government to reactivate the Lagos-Kano-Jibia railway corridor to facilitate the transportation of cattle and other livestock products from northern Nigeria to the South.
He said improving rail transportation would reduce the pressure caused by moving livestock over long distances by road, minimise losses and contribute to addressing farmer-herder conflicts.
Bago thanked the minister and his delegation for the visit and commended Maiha’s leadership and initiatives aimed at transforming Nigeria’s livestock industry.
The governor also praised the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES) for its interventions in Niger State.
According to him, L-PRES was instrumental in facilitating an agreement between Niger Foods and an Abuja-based abattoir under which the state is expected to supply 200 cattle daily, with an estimated 20,000 direct and indirect jobs projected from the initiative.
Bago stressed the need to increase pasture and animal feed production, assuring the minister that the Niger State Government would collaborate with the ministry to achieve the objective.
He also commended President Bola Tinubu for establishing a stronger institutional framework for livestock development in Nigeria.
Earlier, Maiha and his delegation inspected Zaima Farms, where he expressed satisfaction with the livestock operations and commended the Niger State Government’s support for the sector.
Zaima Farms is one of the beneficiaries of the L-PRES intervention, including the establishment of a poultry production facility with the capacity to process about 10,000 chickens daily.
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