President Bola Tinubu says Africa’s livestock sector has the potential to become a major driver of food security, industrialisation, employment and sustainable economic growth on the continent.

Mr Tinubu said this in Abuja on Monday at the opening of the 9th All-Africa Conference on Animal Agriculture.

The president, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, said the growing African population and rising demand for animal protein made the repositioning of the livestock sector imperative.

He said livestock was not only a source of food and nutrition but also a strategic economic asset capable of creating jobs, supporting livelihoods and contributing to industrial development.

“At such a critical moment in Africa’s development journey, when our population continues to grow rapidly, and when the demand for animal protein, livestock products, jobs and sustainable livelihoods is increasing, the importance of this conference cannot be overemphasised.

“The livestock sector represents not only a source of food and nutrition, but also a strategic economic asset capable of driving industrialisation, youth employment, regional trade and economic prosperity,” he said.

Mr Tinubu said his administration had placed agriculture and food security at the centre of its Renewed Hope Agenda.

“The establishment of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development in July 2024 demonstrated the Federal Government’s commitment to transforming the livestock sector.

“The ministry’s establishment marked the beginning of a comprehensive national livestock transformation programme aimed at moving livestock production from subsistence and cultural practices to a modern, technology-driven and commercially competitive industry.”

He said the government was implementing key reforms based on the recommendations of the Presidential Committee on Livestock Reforms to strengthen governance, improve productivity, promote peaceful and sustainable livestock production systems and attract private-sector investment.

Mr Tinubu said Nigeria had one of the largest livestock populations in Africa, comprising millions of cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and poultry.

He added that the sector contributed significantly to the national economy and remained critical to rural development and food security.

The president said the National Livestock Growth Acceleration Strategy was among the initiatives being implemented to unlock the sector’s economic potential.

He said the strategy focused on increasing productivity, strengthening value chains, promoting ranching and modern production systems, improving animal breeding and genetics, strengthening veterinary services and disease surveillance, and attracting investment into dairy, meat processing, feed production and livestock infrastructure.

He said the government was also pursuing dairy transformation through improved genetics, nutrition, breeding systems, pasture development, commercial feed production, milk collection infrastructure and modern processing facilities.

“These measures are expected to increase local production, reduce dependence on imports, improve rural incomes and strengthen national food security,” he said.

Mr Tinubu further said the livestock sector offered significant opportunities for young Nigerians and women, urging greater investment in finance, innovation, digital technologies and value-chain development.

He said Africa could not achieve sustainable livestock transformation in isolation, given the challenges posed by animal diseases, climate change, food insecurity, trade barriers and trans-border livestock movements.

The president, therefore, called for stronger regional cooperation, harmonised standards, improved disease-control systems and greater integration of livestock value chains under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

He urged delegates to use the conference to develop practical recommendations capable of shaping Africa’s livestock agenda in line with the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

“I assure you of Nigeria’s readiness to work with all African countries, development partners, research institutions and the private sector to build a livestock industry that is productive, sustainable, profitable and globally competitive,” he said.

Earlier, the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, said Nigeria’s hosting of the conference, only two years after the establishment of the ministry, was a major achievement for the administration.

Mr Maiha said the theme of the conference, “Repositioning Animal Agriculture for Africa’s Food Security and Global Competitiveness,” was timely, given the challenges of climate change, population growth, conflicts, emerging animal diseases, supply-chain disruptions and rising food prices.

He said the challenges also presented an opportunity for Africa to harness its natural resources, scientific capacity, youthful population and entrepreneurial energy to build a modern livestock economy.

The minister said Africa’s livestock resources could support domestic food demand while positioning the continent as a competitive player in international markets, while stressing the importance of the AfCFTA in creating integrated livestock value chains across national borders.

“Instead of competing in isolation, African countries should increasingly cooperate through regional specialisation and trade between different economic blocs,” Mr Maiha said.

He called for stronger regional collaboration, harmonisation of sanitary and phytosanitary standards, improved cross-border livestock movement, increased investment and reduced trade barriers.

Mr Maiha said Africa needed to move beyond fragmented interventions towards a coherent continental livestock transformation agenda.

“Governments must create enabling policies; research institutions must accelerate innovation, and the private sector must invest broadly.

“Development partners must support scalable programmes, while regional organisations must strengthen coordination and policy harmonisation,” he said.

The minister said repositioning animal agriculture was essential to achieving the aspirations of Agenda 2063, the Sustainable Development Goals and the continent’s economic development objectives.

Also speaking, Mizeck Chagunda, Interim President of the All-Africa Society of Animal Production (ASAP), said the conference should be used as a platform for dialogue and practical solutions rather than merely as a gathering for presentations.

Ms Chagunda said collaboration among African animal scientists, farmers, policymakers, researchers and other stakeholders was critical to achieving meaningful transformation in the livestock sector.

“If we try to improve livestock in Africa all by ourselves as individuals, we will keep doing the same things we have been doing before without seeing new results.

“It is only by working together that we can strengthen the role of livestock in Africa,” he said.

He traced the history of the conference to the regional conference on animal agriculture held in Nairobi in 1989, with the first All-Africa Conference on Animal Agriculture subsequently held in Nairobi in 1992.

He said subsequent editions were held in Pretoria, South Africa; Alexandria, Egypt; Arusha, Tanzania; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Accra, Ghana; and Gaborone, Botswana.

According to him, Nigeria’s hosting of the 2026 edition has helped put the conference back on schedule after previous gaps between editions.

Ms Chagunda said more than 140 presentations would be delivered at the Abuja conference, covering animal breeding and genetics, animal health, nutrition, climate change, biotechnology, animal welfare, food systems, human capacity development and the transfer of technologies from laboratories to farmers.

He also announced plans by the society to establish a permanent home and review its constitution to reflect changing realities across the continent.

The society, he added, would also recognise individuals and organisations contributing significantly to livestock development through the newly introduced African Livestock Changemakers Awards.

Chinyere Akujobi, permanent secretary, Ministry of Livestock Development, in her welcome address, said the conference underscored the federal government’s commitment to transforming animal agriculture.

Ms Akujobi said the gathering provided an opportunity for policymakers, researchers, farmers, development partners and private-sector stakeholders to exchange knowledge, strengthen partnerships and explore innovative approaches to advancing livestock development.

She welcomed delegates from across Africa and beyond, describing Nigeria as “home” to its African guests.

In a goodwill message, Chris Bielecki, Agricultural Counsellor, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Foreign Agricultural Service, U.S. Consulate, Lagos, said the United States was committed to strengthening commercial partnerships that would support the growth of Africa’s livestock sector.

Mr Bielecki said the U.S. and Nigeria shared common interests in expanding agricultural production, strengthening livestock and meat-processing capacity and increasing value-added agricultural exports.

He said U.S. agricultural organisations had supported Nigeria’s livestock and feed sectors through training, technical assistance and commercial partnerships.

He disclosed that the U.S. Soybean Export Council had trained more than 5,000 Nigerians in poultry, aquaculture and feed mill management.

He also said the USDA had recently approved a 26.1-million-dollar Food for Progress project for Nigeria to advance trade and build financial capacity in the animal feed, poultry and aquaculture sectors.

Mr Bielecki invited participants to visit the U.S. promotional booth at the conference exhibition and participate in the U.S.-Nigeria Livestock and Feed Business-to-Business Connect scheduled for Aug. 13 in Abuja.

He said the United States was not merely a spectator in Africa’s livestock transformation but a committed partner ready to invest, train, trade and grow alongside African countries.

The conference brings together scientists, policymakers, farmers, ranchers, development partners, private-sector operators and other stakeholders from Africa and beyond to deliberate on strategies for repositioning animal agriculture for food security and global competitiveness. 

(NAN)