Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, has said over 50 million cattle in Nigeria are not well fed, noting that it should be treated as a national emergency. 

Mr Maiha disclosed this on Friday, at the opening of a two-day Policy Dialogue Workshop for the Valuation of PRISMA project results in the Regional Agricultural Priorities of West Africa and the Sahel, organised by the Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food under the Economic Community of West African States.

The minister said, “In Nigeria, we have over 50 million cattle in the hands of rural dwellers, and these are animals that must be fed. So, for us, feeding and indeed, food is a national imperative that we cannot even leave for tomorrow.

“It is an emergency because the tangential effect of not being able to provide the necessary feed for our animals has a direct effect on our very existence, rural livelihood and human peace. So, for us, it is a matter of survival.”

Mr Maiha, represented by the Director, Technical office of the Permanent Secretary, Peter Alike stated that, “we have a strategic plan which is going to run from 2025 to 2030, and we have a basket of livestock contribution to GDP, which is currently about $32 billion.’’

He added that the livestock sector could contribute over $94 billion in 10 years if properly developed.  

Applauding President Bola Tinubu for creating the ministry, the minister stated that the project would fail with Nigeria’s exclusion, stressing that the collaboration among Nigeria, ECOWAS and other stakeholders in the region and the Sahel, has excelled in achieving food security.

He stated, “If you have a project of this magnitude and you exclude Nigeria, then you are not likely to succeed because I don’t know of any other country in West Africa and the Sahel that has a dedicated Ministry of Livestock Development.’’