Leveraging on cattle sub-sector to end insecurity, generate revenue

Nigeria’s livestock sector contributes about 25 per cent of the population of goats, sheep, cattle and poultry in the whole of the West African region, which makes it a vital sector in the country’s agriculture. What this means is that the sector supports the country’s economy through employment generation, livelihood, wealth creation, food security and […]

Nigeria’s livestock sector contributes about 25 per cent of the population of goats, sheep, cattle and poultry in the whole of the West African region, which makes it a vital sector in the country’s agriculture. What this means is that the sector supports the country’s economy through employment generation, livelihood, wealth creation, food security and export. It accounts for one-third of the agriculture GDP and also supplies more than 30 per cent of the nation’s protein requirement.

The livestock value chain’s potential and opportunities remain enormous and unlimited considering the growing demand for livestock and livestock products in Nigeria. However, the aggregate sector’s supply continues to decline, thereby creating huge demand deficit that is yearly being filled with massive importation that ruins the country’s foreign reserve, creating unfavourable balance of trade, and loss of jobs.

It is worrisome that an estimated $1.5 billion is spent annually in importing milk and dairy products because the country’s local production – which stands at about 0.7 billion litres – is below the national demand of about 1.45 billion litres (just over 40% of the domestic demand).

This figure alone underscores the nation’s over-dependence on dairy imports fundamentally due to low local production level. This rather pathetic situation is not only peculiar to the dairy sub-sector but also to meat, egg and poultry sub-sectors of the country – with each of them witnessing huge demand-supply deficit.

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This trend is attributable to the decades-long systemic neglect of the sector. Average daily milk production by pastoralists ranges between 0.5 and 1.5 litres per cow compared to the global average of 6.6 litres per cow. Consequently, our per capita consumption level of 8.7 litres of milk, 9kg of meat, 3.5kg (45 eggs) per year – are upsettingly low compared to global averages of 44 litres, 19 kg and 180 eggs for milk, meat and eggs per year respectively.

It is common knowledge that most of the government policies and interventions were systematically designed and expediently targeted on crop farmers, processors, input dealers rather than cattle or other livestock producers. Nomadic pastoralists are often marginalised socially and economically, a trend that limits their ability to advocate for their interests and access resources needed to develop the livestock industry.

This neglect, which cuts across different strata of governments, remains the main and indeed, remote cause of the perennial farmer/herder impasse that is gradually metamorphosing into communal clashes, cattle rustling, banditry and kidnapping bedevilling many parts of the country and causing destruction and disruption of farming activities, properties and lives of citizens, while further exacerbating poverty, food insecurity, unemployment and loss of investment opportunities in agriculture and other rural economic activities.

No serious nation should allow this ridiculous trajectory to prevail uncontrollably, considering the serious danger it poses on national security, nutritional security and economic stability, which combine to impact heavily on its import bills that run into millions of dollars annually.

Notwithstanding this gloomy picture, however, it is apt say that the current reform of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration, which started with the constitution of a Presidential Livestock Reforms and Implementation Committee (PLRIC) and the subsequent creation of the Ministry of Livestock Development, is laudable, commendable and in a good direction to salvage the sector from its state of neglect while tapping its invaluable potential for the growth of the economy.

Beyond the creation of the Ministry of Livestock Development and its potential to drive economic growth, enhance food security and create employment opportunities, it is important to note that this can only achieve its purpose if the right actions are taken to transform this traditionally subsistence-oriented sector into a viable, commercial and sustainable powerhouse.

The lofty goals of creating the Ministry of Livestock Development could be achieved effectively through the following:

• Deliberate shift from subsistence to commercialisation of the sector through cluster ranching, livestock settlement zones and contract livestock production to pave way for adoption and application of digital, innovative services for identification, breeding, feeding, monitoring and health care purposes. This system will discourage nomadism; enhance productivity, simplify identification, enhance tracking system as well deter illegal activities like stealing or rustling of livestock.
• Introduction of finance and insurance mechanisms similar to the CBN anchor borrower programme, index-based insurance and crowdfunding platforms to provide financial leverage, minimise risk and increase investment prospect in the sector. A youth-focused financing model to provide grants, loans, and training specifically for young Nigerians to engage in livestock farming can go a long way in incentivising the participants;
• Fixing the broken value chain by supporting the establishment of modular abattoirs with solar cold chains, tall feed leather parks to process hides locally to avoid raw export, promote backward and forward integration along all the value chain actors.
• Capacity building and knowledge transfer through structured demand-driven training programmes; international knowledge exchange with countries like India, Kenya, Brazil etc. and to strengthening livestock extension services to deliver tailored support to farmers and herders, fostering innovation and sustainable grazing system at grassroots levels.

Vigorously pursuing the aforementioned strategies and their effective implementation by the new ministry, as well as sustaining the current political will by the federal government, and inclusive stakeholder engagement would ultimately unlock the estimated N33 trillion potential of Nigeria’s livestock industry and turning what is viewed as a source of conflict into a driver of economic growth and national harmony.

 

Musa, PhD., National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria