The federal government has called for intensified public-private partnerships (PPPs) to revitalise 38 moribund livestock legacy facilities across the six geopolitical zones in the country.

Minister of Livestock Development Idi Maiha made the call at the specialised training on PPP organised by the ministry on Monday in Abuja.

Mr Maiha identified facilities, including milk collection centres, cattle multiplication centres, goat and sheep breeding centres, pig progeny centres, and tanneries.

The federal government’s livestock sub-sector strategic plan, which runs from 2025 to 2030, aims to increase its GDP contribution from $32 billion to between $74 billion and $94 billion within 10 years.

The minister, who said that many of the facilities were built 60 to 70 years ago, emphasised that they should be revived and put to use soon.

Mr Maiha described PPP as the preferred business model for the facilities to return to business and contribute to enhancing the fortunes of the nation’s livestock sub-sector.

He identified the creation of the ministry as a clear demonstration of the federal government’s commitment to reposition the livestock sub-sector as a key driver of food security, employment generation, rural development, and economic diversification.

According to him, livestock contributes significantly to national GDP, nutrition, and livelihoods. However, he said its full potential remained largely untapped due to long-standing structural, infrastructural, and investment gaps.

“It is against this background that PPP provides not just an option but a strategic necessity for massive transformation of the livestock sector. The government alone cannot sustainably finance, operate, and modernise livestock value chains.

“Equally, the private sector requires an enabling policy, regulatory, and institutional environment to invest with confidence.

“PPP provides the framework through which these complementary strengths can be harnessed for mutual benefit and national development,’’ he said.

Mr Maiha said that PPP promotes efficiency, innovation, risk-sharing, accountability, and value for money.

“When properly structured and transparently implemented, PPP can accelerate project delivery, reduce fiscal pressure on government, improve service quality, and stimulate private investment, while safeguarding public interest,” he said.

The minister said that the training was designed to build institutional capacity within the ministry and among its stakeholders to understand, structure, negotiate, and manage PPP projects.

He said the training sought to deepen participants’ understanding of PPP concepts, models, and lifecycle processes.

“It is to enhance capacity for project identification, preparation, and appraisal in the livestock sector as well as seek to strengthen compliance with Nigeria’s PPP laws, guidelines, and institutional arrangements,” he said.

The training featured agencies within the ministry, development partners, private-sector stakeholders, civil society organisations, and professional associations, among others.

(NAN)