12 countries eye Nigeria’s N33trn dairy, meat value chain

Since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu created the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, many other countries have approached the federal government for investment opportunities. The countries include Brazil, China, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, France, Mexico, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States. Nigeria currently has an estimated combined livestock population of […]

Since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu created the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, many other countries have approached the federal government for investment opportunities.

The countries include Brazil, China, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, France, Mexico, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Nigeria currently has an estimated combined livestock population of about 821 million, which includes cattle (58 million), pigs (16 million), goats (124 million), and sheep (60 million) and poultry (563 million birds), according to the Presidential Committee on Livestock Reform report.

The report noted that Nigeria’s livestock sector is estimated to be worth N33 trillion but contributes less than 3% to the nation’s GDP 

Nigeria imports milk valued at $1.5 billion (about N2.3 trillion), annually, a sum significant enough to draw in foreign dairy industry participants.

Data from the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC), an online data visualisation and distribution platform focused on the geography and dynamics of economic activities, indicates that Nigeria imported poultry meat alone from over five countries between 2022 and 2023.

OEC shows that Nigeria imports poultry meat primarily from South Africa ($167,000), Italy ($116,000), Germany ($59,700), the Netherlands ($55,500), and the United Kingdom ($48,300).

 The fastest-growing import markets in poultry meat for Nigeria between 2021 and 2022 were South Africa ($74,800), the United Kingdom ($48,300) and Germany ($47,700).

The Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Mukhtar Maiha, during a ministry briefing in Abuja a few weeks ago, said the ministry has forged strong alliances with international partners, investors, and diplomatic missions to secure technical expertise, financing and strategic investment.

He added that key delegations from over 12 countries have engaged with the ministry to explore opportunities in meat processing, dairy production, animal health, feed production and cold chain logistics.

“It is expected that these partnerships and many more will be instrumental in positioning Nigeria as a regional and global hub for livestock production and export,” Maiha said.

Nigeria, Kenya identified as major hub

The African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) launched the African Pastoral Market Development Platform on January 17, 2025, in Nairobi, Kenya, which identified Nigeria and Kenya as lighthouse countries for the first phase of the project, with outreach efforts extending to other livestock-supplying nations.

For Nigeria, these include Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad and Niger Republic, while for Kenya, the outreach covers Ethiopia and Tanzania. “Through this platform, we will streamline cross-border livestock trade, ensure better market structure, and strengthen partnerships across the region for sustainable livestock development,” he stated.

By addressing systemic problems in the livestock trade, the platform seeks to enhance the standard of living for pastoral communities, particularly in the Sahel and Horn of Africa.

 6 large-scale meat processing plants underway

The minister noted that one of the significant outcomes of the international engagements spearheaded by President Tinubu was the Nigeria-Brazil trade mission, which secured a landmark $2.5 billion investment deal with JBS S.A., a Brazilian multinational company, which is the world’s largest meat processing company.

The partnership will establish six large-scale meat processing plants for beef, poultry and pig production, create over 50,000 direct and indirect jobs, and enhance Nigeria’s participation in global livestock markets, increasing exports to the Middle East, Europe and North Africa.

Despite the fact that the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has banned import, selling, and distribution of frozen chicken, turkey, and catfish, they are still widely circulated in the country.