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The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha (middle) flanked by other dignitaries during launch in Abuja.
The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to transforming Nigeria’s livestock sector into a modern, resilient and globally competitive industry, stressing the importance of knowledge, innovation and international collaboration.
Speaking at the National Livestock Transformation Dialogue and the launch of the ABIS Livestock Academy in Abuja, the minister said the sector can no longer be constrained by outdated practices and weak knowledge transfer. He explained that sustainable productivity requires a seamless link between grazing reserves, abattoirs, markets and consumers.
“The grazing reserve and the abattoir are two ends of the same vision,” he declared. “At one end, we raise animals sustainably, at the other, we process them to world-class standards. Between these two lies a value chain that creates jobs, empowers youth and women, drives growth and secures Nigeria’s place in the global livestock market.”
He commended ABIS for investing in abattoir modernisation, cold storage and structured meat distribution, while unveiling the ABIS Livestock Academy, a platform for technical training and capacity building across the value chain.
The chairman of ABIS, Emmanuel Usman noted that the company’s expanding facilities will create over 36,000 jobs nationwide, strengthen food security, promote sustainability through biogas innovation and enhance Nigeria’s export competitiveness.
The managing director of NIRSAL, Sa’ad Hamidu said that in 2025 alone the organisation trained over 490 livestock actors nationwide and facilitated more than N270 billion in loans and investments for players in the value chain.
L-R: The Belgian Ambassador to Nigeria, Pieter Leenknegt in a handshake with the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha.
In a related development, the minister received the Belgian Ambassador to Nigeria, Pieter Leenknegt on a courtesy visit. The Ambassador announced an upcoming Belgian trade mission to Nigeria in November focused on agriculture, food systems, cold-chain management and artificial intelligence solutions for livestock identification and traceability.
Maiha highlighted Nigeria’s vast livestock market valued at over US $33 trillion with more than 200 million ruminants, noting opportunities for collaboration in genetics, vaccines, pharmaceuticals, feed and advanced technologies. He expressed keen interest in Belgian expertise, including the Belgian ‘Blue’ breed, vaccines and AI-driven cattle tagging for productivity and data-driven livestock management.
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